


Wait...is it Code Red or Code Blue?

by bakaa_usagi, jipjops



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: ALL THE FLUFF, BoM owns a cafe and its stupid, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Drunk Lance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Female pronouns for Pidge, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt Lance (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, M/M, Modern AU, Mutual Pining, Pining Keith/Lance (Voltron), Sickfic, Slow Burn, Texting, broganes, but not really, chapters will get much longer as we post, doctor keith, fireman lance, injuries, its fluff.. for now, karaoke night, klance centric, klangst, pidge and shiro knows whats up, super old fic but take it anyway, super smash bros, there will be angst, things pick up :3c, toothrotting fluff, will probably hit 50K words by the end of it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2019-07-11 08:00:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 69,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15968087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bakaa_usagi/pseuds/bakaa_usagi, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jipjops/pseuds/jipjops
Summary: “Oh, alright, thanks doc.”Keith paused, one foot out of the door before turning to face Lance again.“Just Keith is fine, and uh, you’re welcome.”--Where Lance is your local firefighter, Keith is the workaholic doctor at Altea hospital, and their friends are sick and tired of their pining.





	1. CODE BLUE

**Author's Note:**

> A collab fic that I wrote with my friend on a whim, and this was made a long long long time ago (like, back in S2) but it's pretty much almost finished, so we thought we'd share our silly little fic with everyone. We hope you enjoy it, even though neither of us are writers and this fic is just 90% fluff~ (❀u3u)/ ~ <3
> 
> we will update 2-3 times a week, since a big part of it is finished, but we're still working on the ending so things may slow down down the road, but for now there will be quick updates! 
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to read this and we hope you enjoy!! (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Keith sighed as he took a sip of his well deserved cup of coffee, leaning against the counter of the now mostly empty hospital cafeteria. The bitter taste and warmth that spread through his chest calmed him and relaxed his tense shoulders. It had been a stressful day, he barely had time to breathe but it had also been fulfilling. But it was past 8pm now, and things have winded down a little. He had saved a lot of lives today, and it made him feel accomplished. Keith knew he was a bit of a workaholic, okay maybe a bit was an understatement. But it didn’t really bother him, since he enjoyed his work. Although that didn’t mean that that sat well with everyone. As if on cue he heard a familiar sigh to his left coming from the cafeteria double doors.

His brother Shiro - also known as the chief of medical staff in Altea Hospital - was sending him a disappointed and disapproving look. Keith tried his best to feign ignorance and innocence but he knew that Shiro saw right through his act.

Shiro raised a thick eyebrow at his rebellious little brother. Even if Keith was his brother, he was also his boss. The older man wished the younger brother would get out of his teen phase already and just listen to him once in awhile - was it really that much to ask?

“Keith, why are you still here? Your shift ended 2 hours ago. On call doctors are already here and taking care of your patients, so, mind telling me why you’re still hanging around? Don’t you want to head home and...I dunno, take a break?”

Shiro crossed his arms, having had this conversation more times than he could count, his foot tapping on the tiled floor impatiently.

Keith calmly sipped his coffee again, his shoulders hunching a little but otherwise didn’t show that Shiro’s words had affected him in any way.

“Uhh, yeah but there’re still things that need to be done. I’m just taking a quick break and then I’m going to head back to the OP room to check up on-”

Keith was quickly cut off by another sigh from Shiro who was now approaching Keith. Stopping in front of him, Shiro put a strong hand on his shoulder.

“Keith, look. I know you love working and you’re a workaholic, but running yourself into the ground isn’t going to help anyone. You need to take a break, just head home and have some down time alright? What are you going to do if you get sick?” Shiro gave the other a pleading look and Keith had to look away feeling a small ball of guilt in his chest. But he still wanted to stay.

“Okay okay, I’ll leave in an hour alright? I just want to finish up some things.” he reluctantly mumbled. Shiro removed his hand and nodded in affirmation. “You better Keith, if you don’t I’ll kick you out.”

Keith couldn’t stop the scoff that escaped him. He knew Shiro couldn’t hurt a fly even if he wanted to. Just when he saw Shiro open his mouth to lecture him some more the sound of sirens met his ears. The familiar noise sprang Keith into action. Putting his half finished coffee down on the counter he rushed towards the ER where the ambulance dropped off patients with Shiro hot on his heels.

The ambulance made a quick turn into the hospital’s lot, and precisely backed up towards where Keith and Shiro were waiting. Some nurses and other medical personnel were also there prepared to receive the patients.

As soon as the first ambulance opened, the EMT in the ambulance stepped out to speak to Shiro and Keith.

“What are the patients' status?”

Keith quickly asked, wanting to get to the patient asap, seeing the strain on the EMT’s face and knowing they were probably fighting against time.

“3 firefighters got trapped in a burning office building, 1 is in critical condition and needs immediate medical attention, we did the best we could, but he’s still struggling to breathe and he has a lot of internal injuries.”

Keith and Shiro exchanged quick glances, and Shiro was about to tell Keith not to get involved but he knew he was fighting a losing battle. Keith stepped up towards the back of the ambulance where the other EMTs were wheeling out the gerney.

“Give me the critical patient, I will take them to the ER and start on operating on them immediately.” Keith barked a few orders to some of the nurses, telling them to move the injured firefighter towards the ER operating room before running to change into scrubs.

Shiro couldn’t say he appreciated Keith’s work crazed habits, but he was always amazed at how passionate Keith was and he couldn’t help the small smile that dawned on his face before he turned to the remaining EMTs.

“Bring the other two patients to my sector, I will assess them and get them what they need.”

The EMTs quickly handed the remaining patients to the awaiting nurses before taking off to attend to another emergency call.

.ﾟ☆ ☆ﾟ.

Keith made quick work of changing and was in the operating room within a minute. His brows furrowed assessing the patient’s injuries. The man was heavily bruised and injured, struggling to breathe, and Keith felt a surge of determination in his chest. This guy had gotten hurt while trying to save someone else’s life, and he wasn’t going to let him die. Not while he was on duty.

He worked carefully but efficiently, the long hours of operation stretched into the night but Keith barely noticed, too concentrated on the task he was doing. It wasn’t until the patient was stable and Keith had done all he could for the patient did he heave a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat on his brow with his forearm.

“Okay, get the patient into an ER room, I’m going to clean up before moving in to check up on him. Make sure to keep the Oxygen mask on him, and give him painkillers.”

The nurses in the room nodded at Keith’s instructions and carefully moved the injured fireman out of the operating room.

Keith removed his now bloodied scrubs and threw out his gloves. Glancing at the clock he realized it was now 1 am. The operation had taken longer than he thought, but he had no intention of leaving now that he had someone who needed him urgently. He hoped Shiro was too busy to remember to come bother him about heading home.

After washing his hands and face again, he made his way up towards the patient’s room and opened the door. The beep of the heart monitor was reassuring, and he approached the patient carefully. Now that he was up close he realized he hadn’t really taken the time to look at the fireman’s face. He was...well Keith couldn’t lie, he was attractive. Even if the man was mostly covered in bandages, Keith could still make out his features.

Keith immediately backed up a step, realizing he was staring at a comatose patient and thinking about how attractive he was and mentally slapped himself. Maybe he did need a bit of a break. He could take a nap after. Not that he’d ever tell Shiro any of that.

Taking a calming breath and dragging his violet eyes away from the patient’s sleeping face, he moved to check all of his vitals, bandages and casts. Once he deemed the patient stable and would most likely make it the rest of the night, did he move to sit in the chair next to the bed.

Only once he sat down did fatigue hit him full force. Keith was reluctant, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to stay up like he had wanted. But at least Shiro wasn’t on him anymore about going home to rest. Sliding down in the uncomfy chair, he quickly dozed off the the soft sound of the patient’s breathing, and the quiet beep of the heart monitor.

.ﾟ☆ ☆ﾟ.

Lance woke up to the muffled sounds of someone talking. His whole body ached and his head pounded, he couldn’t feel any of his limbs and he wondered where he was and what had happened. His brows furrowed as his sluggish brain tried to recall, but it was no use. Lance tried to concentrate on the voices instead, he realized he could hear a soft constant beep accompanied by two voices.

“-...he seems to be doing well, I wonder why he hasn’t woken up yet.”

“He had a rather traumatic head injury, it’s to be expected. He should be able to pull through though, he’s recovering well so far.”

Doing well? Who was talking? Neither of their voices were familiar to him. Lance tried to open his eyes but they felt like they were stuck with glue. Unconsciously a soft groan escaped his lips when he tried to move only to feel a dull wave of pain shoot through his body. The next thing he knew he heard steps and a warm hand was placed on his cheek.

“Mr.McClain? Can you hear me?”

“Nghh…”

Who was this? Why were they calling him that? Finally gathering up enough strength, Lance willed his eyes to open, the room was dimly lit which helped his aching head and his blurry vision settled onto an unfamiliar face. Dark locks framed a pale face with concerned violet eyes. Lance didn’t know who this was, and his vision was still blurry as all hell, but he found that the warm hand and soft voice was rather pleasant. Closing his eyes again Lance slowly realized he was probably in a hospital. So that means, this guy was… his doctor? Or maybe nurse. Oh the guy was still talking to him.

“Mr.McClain? Are you awake?”

Lance took a deep breath before nodding weakly, wincing when a bright light was shone into his eyes and his lids peeled back by that warm calloused hand.

“Oh good, you’re finally awake. Do you remember what happened? And where you are?”

Lance took a minute to gather his scattered memories before nodding again.

“Y-Yeah, I was...was in a building. There was a fire and...a beam, collapsed. Now I’m in, a...hospital?”

Keith nodded, although Lance couldn’t see it and the nurse next to him quickly wrote it down on her clipboard. Keith gestured the nurse to go grab some medication, food and water for Lance. The door closed softly with a click before Keith turned back to his patient.

“Okay very good, it seems that you have your memory still. How are you feeling?”

“Like...I got hit by a fire truck.” Lance groaned miserably.

Keith couldn't help the snort that escaped his lips. Was this guy for real? Although it was outrageous, he was glad the guy felt good enough to joke.

“I guess that was a bad question to ask. You’ve been out for awhile so it’s only natural.”

Lance quickly sat up at that before instantly regretting it. After a string of spanish curses escaped his lips and the pain ebbed away, his eyes quickly turned to meet the doctor’s.

“W-Wait I was out for a long time? H-How long? How long has it been?” he croaked, his heart picking up speed at the idea of being asleep for years or something ridiculous. But the doctor’s cocked eyebrow told him he was probably overreacting. But Lance didn’t care, he needed to know.

“Yes, quite a long time. I think this is your seventh week? But considering your head injury we are glad to see you awake at all.”

Lance’s heart sank and his throat felt even drier than before. Holy shit he’s been in a coma for almost two months? How did that even happen? What about his family? How did he eat? How did he bathe? He had so many questions and not enough answers.

Keith quickly moved to place a hand on Lance’s shoulder to calm him.

“Don’t worry you’re alright, you’re recovering well and your family and friends have been visiting you regularly, so you don't need to worry. Your co workers were released weeks ago, they were really worried about you.”

Lance’s ocean blue eyes locked with Keith’s and Keith felt a weird feeling churn in his gut. But he saw the panic leave the other’s eyes and he quickly stepped back again.

“O-Oh...okay. T-Thanks uh…”

“Keith. Keith Kogane. I’ve been taking care of you for the past month and a half.”

Lance blinked, as the information sunk in. He looked at the doctor eying him up and down before flushing deep red, slowly processing the information Keith just told him. This attractive _\--- wait is that a mullet?! ---_ doctor had been taking care of his comatose ass for a whole month and a half?! Holy crow this was embarrassing, Lance wanted to melt into the covers, or maybe even just...slip back into a coma? That was good too.

Keith’s eyebrow rose up into his hairline watching as Lance’s cheek’s flared red. The doctor quickly moved to press a hand on the other’s face to check for his temperature only to have Lance pull back away from his touch. Keith frowned and opened his mouth to ask why he moved away but the tanned boy beat him to it.

“I-I’m fine! It’s nothing. Can I uh ask you something?”

Keith continued to frown at Lance’s odd reactions but nodded anyway to his question.

“Wh-when you say that you uh...took care of me for the past month and a half. What exactly does that entail...?” Lance’s voice was shrill and he found himself unable to meet the doctor’s eyes, a nervous hand moving up to rub against the back of his neck. Because his mind was providing many embarrassing situations and he felt like he was going to phase into the mattress.

Keith didn’t understand why Lance wanted to know so badly, but if his patient wanted to know then he had no problem telling him.

“It entails checking on you and your vitals regularly throughout the day and to prescribe any medication you may need, including giving you meals on a schedule and wiping you down periodically.”

Lance’s blue eyes were almost bugging out of his head by the time the doctor finished speaking, his mouth opening and closing before clicking shut at that last part.

“W-WAit! WAIT WAIT! D-Don’t n-nurses u-usually do that kind of stuff?!”

Keith’s frown deepened having no idea why this patient was making a fuss about who had taken care of him while he was comatose, but seeing how fretful he was Keith decided to indulge him.

“Yes that’s often the case, but I like to take care of all of my patients personally to the best of my ability. It decreases the chances of miscommunication and mistakes that way.”

Lance moved a hand to cover his mouth and one on his quickly thumping heart. The idea that this attractive doctor had taken care of him for so long and most likely got intimate when he was out cold had him reeling.

“Mr.McClain, are you alright? Your heart rate is picking up rather irregularly, do you feel any pain or discomfort?” the doctor had said, eyebrows raised with worry.

The heart monitor spiked, beeping rather obnoxiously before it resumed its quick pace. Lance could only glare at the traitorous machine before taking a deep breath to try and calm himself.

“Y-Yeah o-of course I’m perfectly fine. Maaaaan I’m super tired I think I’m going to take a nap.” He didn’t even bother waiting for Keith’s reply before stiffly turning to face away from Keith and pulling the hospital sheets up and over his head in hopes of drowning out his embarrassment.

Keith watched Lance’s back for a long moment, not understanding anything that transpired ever since his patient woke up. Mr.McClain was acting rather strange, and he wanted to make sure he wasn’t suffering from his head injury. But only after checking all of his vitals once more - much to Lance’s dismay - did the doctor excuse himself from Lance’s room telling him to get some much needed rest.

Lance’s face felt like it was on fire as he groaned loudly into his pillow, having no idea how his life had somehow lead him here. He was just minding his own business, going to work as usual, only to get into an accident and wake up to this? And he knew he was screwed, very badly - he was thoroughly fucked. He had literally only seen this doctor for oh, maybe 10 minutes, but he knew he was already in too deep. Hell he didn’t even know the guy’s name until 5 minutes ago. Yet Lance knew he wouldn’t be able to forget it.

_Keith._

This Keith Kogane guy was going to be the end of him, and he hated him already. Both him and his ridiculously attractive mullet.

 


	2. Everyday Heroes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance gains his freedom from the hospital at long last, and the fireman learns that sometimes a simple thank you goes a long way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Note: Lance's family isn't accurate to canon, since this fic was written back in S2, so please forgive us :"D  
> Now on with the chapter, we hope you enjoy it! (´▽`ʃƪ) ♥

It had been several days since Lance woke up from his coma, and he was just itching to get back to work. He missed his family and friends, and missing work for almost two months didn’t sit well with him at all. His head ached and his whole body was sore, but otherwise he felt alright. But despite his repeated insistence to Dr. Keith Kogane that he felt perfectly fine, said doctor wanted Lance to at least stay for another week to make sure there were no further complications. Keith had tried to explain that he had been asleep for practically two months because he was in such bad shape when he came in, so it was best to be safe rather than sorry; Lance had begrudgingly agreed.

So here he was, sitting on his bed for the 43rd day bored out of his mind. There wasn’t much to do in the hospital, meaning more often than not Lance was left with way too much time on his hands - which was bad for his heart and traitorous mind which tended to wander back to the thoughts of a certain mulleted doctor.

At the moment though, Lance found himself fiddling with a rubik’s cube that Pidge had given him to pass the time. Pidge was his old high school friend and one of the hospital’s current lab technicians, and even though it was nice of her to try and entertain him, Lance hadn’t a clue how to solve the damn thing. As he aimlessly twisted the cube’s colorful sides around, he thought back to Dr. Kogane’s latest visit.

\---

“Good afternoon Mr.McClain, how are you feeling today?”

Lance blinked sleepily up at the doctor who was sitting next to his bedside while he tried to wake up from his afternoon nap. Sitting up the best he could, he rubbed at his eyes and tried his best to tame his messy brown locks even though he knew they were a loss cause.

“O-Oh uh… hey there doc, I feel great, but I assume you’ve come to check on me again?”

He was trying to go for a more teasing tone but it just came out more as a question in his sleepy state. Fixing his hospital gown a little, Lance hoped he didn’t look as messy as he felt in front of Keith.

Keith merely nodded, before he spoke again. “Yes Mr.McClain, I’m going to give you a more thorough checkup today since you insist on leaving earlier.”

Lance was a little nervous hearing that, but decided to address something that had been bothering him for the past few days.

“Hey Dr.Kogane? Just “Lance” is fine. All that “Mr.McClain” stuff is way too stiff, and it also makes me sound really old. So just Lance is cool.”

Keith was used to such requests, but for some reason it made his chest feel weird when it came from Lance, and he had no idea what to make of it but felt a small smile creep up on his face before he could stop it.

“Alright then. Lance, you okay with me giving you your check up now?”

Instantly, Lance regretted his decision; Keith saying his name made his stomach do flips. He did not think this through, and now his heart was going to suffer for it. It didn’t help that Keith said his name with a small smile on his lips. Lance fought down the blush that threatened to take over his face and managed to keep it mostly under control, until he felt a warm calloused hand on his cheek and ocean blue met deep violet. At that moment, Lance knew he was well and thoroughly fucked.

“Open up.”

Lance gulped audibly, his cheeks tinting pink despite his best efforts; but he obliged, opening his mouth for Keith to check his throat for any swelling or discomfort. Only after listening to his breathing, checking his heart rate and pulse, and making sure that he didn’t feel any pain anywhere did Keith stand to take his leave. The fireman heaved a relieved sigh when his examination ended, rubbing his chest to stop his drumming heart. Lance turned to face the doctor again when Keith stopped by the door.

“A nurse will come in with your meal in a few minutes, and I believe a friend of yours asked for a visit in about an hour, so I will leave you to it. I’ll consider letting you out early, but no promises.”

Lance blinked in surprise, not thinking Keith would actually take his request seriously but was grateful for it nonetheless.

“Oh, alright, thanks doc.”

Keith paused, one foot out of the door before turning to face Lance again.

“Just Keith is fine, and uh, you’re welcome.”

Lance sat there staring at the door wondering if he just imagined that last part. Keith didn’t seem like the type to open up to someone like him, but Lance found that he didn’t mind it at all.

Meanwhile Keith regretted his own decision, trying to hide the embarrassed blush taking over his face while he moved away from Lance’s door. Why did he have to be impulsive and say something stupid like that to one of his patients?! He needed to be more careful from now on.

\---

A small knock at the door pulled Lance’s attention back to reality.

His best friend and fellow firefighter Hunk peeked his head in, smiling when he saw Lance.  
"Hey man, how are you feeling?”

"I’m feeling ready to leave this place," Lance pouted, dropping the rubik's cube on his lap and crossing his arms.

A melodic chuckle sounded from behind Hunk, and Lance saw his boss, Fire Chief Allura, walked in with a little boy clinging shyly to her hand. "It’s nice to see you're up and well, Lance" she said smiling.

The Assistant Fire Chief, Coran, came in after her, followed by a woman Lance had never met before.

"Lance," Allura started sweetly, "this is Ethan. He’s the boy you saved from the fire two months ago."

Lance was taken aback in surprise. He looked at the boy who was shyly peering at him, half hidden behind Allura and his mother’s legs. Lance smiled brightly at the boy; it was probably moments like these that made braving the fires worthwhile, he thought to himself.

The boy looked at Lance with big, incredulous eyes. The woman, who Lance figured was Ethan’s mother, whispered a quiet "go on" and patted him encouragingly on his back. He looked at his mother for a moment before turning back in Lance’s direction. Ocean blue met baby blue, and almost immediately, a blinding smile spread across Ethan's face as he ran enthusiastically towards Lance’s bedside.

Lance shifted up on the bed to try and see the little boy better, peering down at him when Ethan stopped in front of him. Lance smiled at him and reached out a hand towards the boy, “It’s nice to meet you Ethan, I’m Lance.”

Ethan hesitated, looking at the big strong fireman’s hand for a moment before placing his much smaller hand in Lance’s, giving it a gentle shake.”I’m Ethan,” he beamed.

“Thank you mister Lance, for saving me from the fire! It was really scary and I thought I wouldn’t be able to get out, but you came and saved me, you’re like a superhero!”

The boy’s arms shot out like it was the most amazing thing in the world and Lance had to fight the tightness in his chest as his blue eyes softened, now remembering exactly who this boy was and why he was so familiar. He was relieved to see him safe. Lance chuckled softly ruffling the other boy’s hair, “Of course! That’s what firemen do. I’m glad that you’re safe Ethan.”

Ethan giggled as Lance ruffled his gold locks before he gasped, remembering something.

“Oh! Mr.Lance I made you this!” the boy dug into his large coat pockets before holding up a small origami figure in his tiny hands, passing it to Lance.

“It’s a lion cause lions are super cool and strong, and it’s blue cause it’s my favourite color!”

Lance carefully took the figure into his own hand. Despite the folds of the origami being crooked and it’s face a little lopsided, he couldn’t help but think it was perfect.

“Aww Ethan, that’s so sweet of you, thank you so much, I love it. Did you know? Blue is my favourite colour too!”

Ethan beamed at Lance before running back towards his mother shyly, who was walking up towards Lance’s bed. “Lance dear, I can’t thank you enough for helping my husband and I, and saving Ethan, we are forever grateful for what you did. I wish you the best and I hope you will make a full recovery. You have our utmost thanks.” The woman bowed her head and Lance felt overwhelmed. “N-No no of course, you don’t need to thank me. I’m just glad to see you both doing well.”

The mother thanked Lance again, and Ethan gave Lance a huge hug before bidding the others in the room goodbye and making their way out of the room. As they walked down the hall, Lance could faintly make out the sound of Ethan’s voice telling his mother “I’m going to be a fireman when I grow up too, just like Mr. Lance!”

Lance flushed realizing that everyone had seen the whole display and cleared his throat before placing the little lion on the bedside table. “H-Hey guys, nice of you to come visit little old me.”  
Hunk made his way forward and laughed good naturedly at his best friend’s antics. “Well of course, did you really think we’d be able to stay away?”

Lance gasped in appreciation, “Aww Hunk buddy, you always know what to say.” the brunette said dramatically before noticing Hunk placing something on the table. He gasped. “Did you bring me food?” Hunk grinned before striking a proud pose. “Of course! Who do you think I am? I made some of your favourite garlic knots and freshly baked pizza, you must be starving man. Two months on hospital goop? Ugh.”

“You’re the best!” Lance said, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye before reaching for the first box of garlic knots. Allura and Coran exchanged amused glances before walking closer towards the hospital bed.

“Well I’m glad you’re feeling well enough to joke Lance, you really had us worried.” Allura said with a small smile.

“Indeed my boy! We were afraid you would never wake! Ow-”

Coran rubbed the sore spot on his arm where Allura had elbowed him.

“What he means to say is,” Allura gave Coran an unamused look before continuing, “We are so very happy to see you well again.”

Lance paused mid bite on one of the freshly made garlic knots, placing the food down to give all of his coworkers a warm smile. “Thanks guys, really. You all know it takes more than a little fire to take me down.” he boasted, before popping the rest of the garlic knot into his mouth. Allura rolled her eyes but she couldn’t stop the quirk on her lips. It was nice to have Lance back. The past two months had all been hard on them. Without having Lance at the station, it just wasn’t the same.

\---

Keith sighed throwing out the paper cup of his coffee away. It was just past noon and he had finished checking up on all of the patients he was in charge of for the time being. It was a rare and rather peaceful day at the hospital. There weren’t any emergency calls or operations scheduled, and that meant he had free time to spare. Unconsciously, he found his legs taking him towards the hallway where Lance’s room was located. He tried not to make a big deal of it, and looking at his watch decided that it would be good time to check in on Lance again anyway.

As he reached Lance’s door, he was surprised to hear chatter, and the laughter of a little boy. Lance’s visitors weren’t supposed to arrive for another hour, but he supposed they had arrived early. Not wanting to disturb them, he found himself hesitating by the door and couldn’t help but hear the conversation that was going on inside. Although muffled, Keith could still clearly make out the words the little boy was saying.

“Thank you mister Lance, for saving me from the fire! It was really scary and I thought I wouldn’t be able to get out, but you came and saved me, you’re like a superhero!”

Listening to their conversation, Keith could feel a small warmth spread across his chest. He smiled to himself, and couldn’t help eavesdropping for another few moments. The boy and the mother sounded so grateful, and Keith thought back to the state Lance had arrived in. His patient had risked his life to save others, and Keith was glad that he was able to help Lance recover from the incident. He hated to think about what could have happened to him. Snapping out of his thoughts, he caught a few more bits of their conversation.

“-Aww Ethan, that’s so sweet of you, thank you so much, I love it. Did you know? Blue is my favourite colour too!”

Keith realized that he had stood in the hall for more than two minutes and realized he probably shouldn’t be invading their privacy. The doctor pushed away from the wall, deciding he could come back to check on Lance later and moved to leave, before pausing as a familiar mop of black and white hair turned the corner.

Shiro and Keith’s eyes met. Keith gave Shiro a small nod before hurrying away. Even though he knew he didn’t do anything wrong per say, it was still odd of him to have eavesdropped on a patient and their visitors. Keith didn’t do well lying, and Shiro could often read him like an open book, so he made the wise choice to make a quick getaway before his older brother could even speak to him.

Shiro watched as Keith hurried away after he gave him a small nod. With a knowing smile, the older man continued down the hall towards his next patient’s room, but not before glancing curiously at the door Keith had been standing in front of.

 

.ﾟ☆ ☆ﾟ.

 

Lance groaned as he pushed the mushy hospital eggs around on his plate. He had been spoiled by Hunk’s amazing cooking yesterday, and now the bland hospital food did nothing for his appetite, or his boredom. He didn’t even have a TV or anything, and his phone was at near 0%, charging on the bedside table. So yeah, he was bored out of his mind.

Lance frowned, stabbing one of his mushy eggs and shoving it into his mouth with a grimace, when his door opened and Keith casually sauntered in.

“Good morning Lance, it’s nice to see you up. How are you feeling today?”

Lance blinked, realizing he had been staring dumbly at Keith for a few seconds before he cleared his throat and shoved another forkful of eggs into his mouth to distract himself. He hated that he was acting so nervous in front of him, but god he was still too embarrassed to face him.

“I’m feeling fine, just like yesterday. So uh Keith, would I be able to leave soon?”

The brunette asked hopefully while reluctantly turning to face the doctor.

Keith raised an eyebrow at Lance’s odd behaviour but didn’t comment on it.

“Yes, actually. I have your papers ready and you may be discharged before the end of the day.”

Lance almost spit out the eggs he was chewing on before gaping up at the doctor in disbelief. “Really!? I can leave today!?”

“Yes Lance, you may be able to leave today. I’ll have to run another round of tests, and put you through an hour of physical therapy to make sure you can move safely on your own, but if all goes well you will be discharged today.”

Lance whooped loudly, pumping a fist into the air before giving Keith a huge grin. “Aww yeah! I can finally go home and get a proper shower, this is gonna be awesome! Hey doc, let’s do all that testing and physical therapy stuff asap, I can’t wait to get out of this stuffy room.”

Keith fought down the amusement bubbling in his chest at the ridiculous, happy display Lance was giving him, but he knew that a small quirk made its way to his lips regardless.

\---

Keith filed all of Lance’s results into the manilla folder under his arm. Lance had passed all of the tests and was well on his way to a full recovery. Although he was stiff and unstable on his legs at first, after an hour of physical therapy, and some coaching, he had regained most of the strength back into his limbs, and managed to follow Keith down into the main lobby where he was to sign his discharge papers.

As soon as the papers were signed Lance felt a wave of relief wash over him. He was healed and could finally head back home and get back to work after a long two months. Grabbing the small bag of his belongings that Allura and the others had brought him the day before, he made his way towards the automatic double doors.

Lance paused, feeling Keith’s eyes on him and realized that he had been so excited to go home, that he forgot leaving the hospital also meant he wouldn’t be able to see Keith anymore. Recognizing that he was only able to walk out of the hospital like he was now was thanks to the doctor, he felt like he needed to say something to the other man. Lance thought back to Ethan and his mother, and how nice it had felt to have your hard work acknowledged, and although rare, Lance knew that it was something that he greatly appreciated. So he turned around just as Keith turned to make his way back into the ward, and spoke up.

“By the way, Keith. Thanks for uh...saving my life.” he said, rubbing the back of his neck and smiling nervously. “I owe you one big time. Come to the station sometime, I’d be more than happy to show you around and maybe we can have coffee or something.” Lance waved with a bright smile before making his way to Hunk’s yellow hummer parked just outside the entrance. Keith held Lance’s blue gaze with his own violet ones widened in surprise as he watched Lance turn to leave.

An odd sensation gripped Keith’s chest at the other man’s words, he wasn’t sure what the weird feeling was, but Keith couldn’t say he disliked it.

\---

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Lance and Hunk had made their way to his mama’s house to visit. Although his family had visited him during his stay at the hospital to the best of their abilities, Lance knew that his parents were awfully busy. He wanted to let them know he was alright, and honestly he missed them too.

His mama and papa had given him the biggest of hugs as soon as he walked through the familiar wooden door, and he couldn’t wipe the happy smile from his own face when he hugged them back. Dinner was a relaxing affair, and Lance swore that the combined cooking powers of his mama and Hunk were illegal - he had eaten so much good food that he felt ready to pass out.

But now, Lance found himself, squished next to Hunk and three of his siblings with four bowls of popcorn and pop between them, watching Disney movie reruns on a couch that was clearly too small to fit them all. Despite the amazing and relaxing family dinner they just had, this was anything but; his two younger siblings were too exceptionally loud, punching and kicking the air while screaming the lyrics to “BE A MAN” in front of the TV screen while Hunk tried his best to entertain them, pretending to be defeated by his little sister after a particularly impressive kick.

Lance felt like he was getting way too old, because despite his love for his energetic siblings, he felt like they had way more energy than even he could handle sometimes. And this was one of those times. Maybe he was still tired from his stay at the hospital, and Lance felt like a good nights sleep on a comfy bed would do him wonders. Oh, and his beauty skin care routine too, he had to catch up on those.

Lance was dragged back from his thoughts when he tried to block a socked foot coming towards his face from his little brother. Lance expertly dodged his way out of the room, realizing his cell phone was buzzing in his pocket before he grabbed his phone and picked up.

“Hello?”

“Good evening Lance, how are you feeling?”

“Oh hey Allura, I feel great. It’s good to be home and out of the hospital. What’s up did something happen?”

“Oh no, no need to worry Lance. I just wanted to call to let you know that you don’t need to come into work tomorrow.”

“What why? I feel perfectly fine.” he huffed shoving a hand into his pocket.

“Lance, you’ve been in a coma for two months, the least you can do is take a week off. You wouldn’t want to end up back in the hospital again already do you?”

Lance sighed. A part of him knew Allura was right, he did feel rather tired despite only waking up like, 6 hours ago. And all he really did was eat dinner and watch a movie with his siblings. But he was stubborn, and the idea of neglecting work for 2 months already didn’t sit very well with him.

“But Allura, I feel fine though…” he said weakly. But he knew he was losing the argument.

“Lance. Please, spend some time with your family and recover. You probably have a lot of housekeeping tasks to take care of too after being away from your home for so long? Take some time to ease yourself back into your daily routine, we’ll still be here when you get back.”

With a sigh knowing that he couldn’t win against Allura on this topic, he reluctantly agreed. “Fine, but I’m expecting a huge welcome back party in a week’s time!” Lance said with a grin.

“I’m glad to hear that, though I can’t make any promises about the party,” Allura replied with a small chuckle. “Well then, I have some things to tend to. I hope you’ll enjoy the rest of your evening, Lance. I know I’ve said this before but we’re all glad that you’re doing well, I’ll see you in a week’s time.”

“Okay Allura, thanks.” Lance replied. After hanging up, he yawned before dragging his tired body back towards where his siblings and Hunk were still singing along and reenacting the scenes from Mulan, and despite them shouting at the top of their lungs the fireman found himself dozing off - guess he was more tired than he thought.

As his eyes slid closed, Lance’s mind wandered briefly to a certain workaholic doctor with pretty violet eyes, and wondered if it would take something ridiculous like another coma for them to meet again.


	3. It's Just a Scratch, I Swear!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Lance is a bit of a klutz, and Pidge has a little something up her sleeve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! 
> 
> This is a big update, I think almost 10K words? LOL BIG jump we know haha but the story is really starting to pick up and we hope you enjoy the tons of fluff this chapter! ✧⁺⸜(●′▾‵●)⸝⁺✧
> 
> Thank you guys for all of your support and feedback so far, and all comments/kudos are much appreciated <3  
> It's really encouraging for us and we're really excited to be posting more earlier than we planned!
> 
> And on with the chapter~! (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

**\--- 1 week later ---**

 

Lance hummed as he walked down the street from his apartment towards the station at 7:30 am sharp. No, Lance knew he wasn’t always the best at being punctual, in fact he was usually fashionably late, if he did say so himself. But today was a little different.

It had been two and a half months since he’s set foot at the station, and he couldn’t wait to get back to doing what he loved. As soon as he stepped foot into the station he was greeted with the sound of a popper which startled him. He blinked in confusion when the confetti fell to the floor and tangled a bit in his hair, but smiled when he saw the decorations and wide smiles on the faces of his coworkers.

“Welcome back buddy!” Hunk shouted while he all but barrelled into Lance, lifting him into a tight hug which he could only return.

“It’s good to be back buddy. Man did you guys really make me a welcome back party? That’s so sweet.” Lance said, genuinely touched and wondering how he ended up with such a caring and amazing group of friends. Allura laughed behind her hand before handing him a piece of cake that Hunk had undoubtedly baked.

“I said no promises, but that didn’t mean it was a no. As much as I love parties, we can only spare a few minutes before we need to get back to work. But welcome back Lance.”

“Yes lad! It’s great to have you back at the station, it just wasn’t the same without you my boy.” Coran had said as he patted Lance on the shoulder.

Lance took the cake gratefully, feeling a little teary eyed at all the affection but beamed widely before taking a bite of the delicious cake. It was good to be home.

 

**.ﾟ☆ 1 month later ☆ﾟ.**

 

“Aughhhh HUNK, I take it back. Send me back to the hospital.”

“Dude! Too soon. Seriously I was super upset for like the whole time you were in a coma, do you know how much I stress cooked? It's no joke. Also no, don’t say that, you’re going to jinx yourself.”

Lance picked his body up and off the floor to flop on his friend miserably.

“Allura’s been drilling us like crazy! Like I know I’ve been back for awhile now, but I swear it's like she’s trying to get me back in there. I can’t feel my arms Hunk.” he all but whined rubbing his face into Hunk’s arm.

“Yeah I know it's tough buddy, it’s just your luck to have a new regimen and protocol update just as soon as you got back. But it’s okay, we’re done for now, let’s just hope that we don’t get too many calls today?” Hunk patted his smaller friend’s back in hopes of comforting him.

Lance groaned before flopping back onto the bench. His whole body ached and he didn’t even know why he had been so eager to come back to work. Well okay, that wasn’t exactly true, he just didn’t like Allura’s hell training, thank you very much. As if on cue, the loud sirens throughout the station blared, red lights flashing indicating they were getting an emergency call. Lance jerked up from his position and sighed hanging his head low. Hunk could only laugh at how ironic their situation was before they both got up to get ready, grabbing their gear before sliding down into the fire truck. Lance took a seat in the back while Hunk took the wheel with a few other firefighters.

It was only a small house fire, but the fire had spread from one house to another by the time they arrived at the scene. Lance quickly hopped off the truck and with Hunk’s help bashed down the front doors while the others started spraying water into the inferno. Lance could hear cries of help, and he quickly made his way in after he made sure that his helmet was fastened properly. He shared a look with Hunk before they split up, Hunk heading towards the other burning house to help the family in there.

Lance made his way through the fire carefully, expertly dodging debris and gauging where the fire will go before making his next move. He followed the cries of help, and while his vision was impaired by the heat waves, Lance continued on unphased. Through the smoke, he made his way upstairs and into the bedrooms, and stopped at the door where he heard the most shouting.

“Back away from the door! I’ll get you out!” Lance shouted over the fire, before unhooking the axe from his belt and hacking at the door knob. The door swung open with ease after that with a swift kick. Lance was met with an older man who was coughing harshly into his sleeve looking scared and worried, but mostly unharmed.

“Sir, please stay calm, I will get you out.”

“Wait! Please, my wife, she’s in the other room!” He pleaded before another coughing fit wracked the man’s frame. Lance nodded, letting the man know he heard him before moving the man to crouch down where the black smoke was less suffocating near the window. Breaking the latch on the window, Lance promptly pushed it open before calling for backup. Hunk was there, the one resident in the other house already moved to safety. A ladder was quickly put up and Lance gave Hunk and thumbs up before ducking back into the room.

“Sir, my colleagues are waiting below, they will help you to safety. I’ll find her for you.”

He gave the man a reassuring smile before making his way back into the hall with determination in his eyes. The fire was spreading rapidly and the house was losing structural integrity far quicker than Lance would have liked; he cursed a little under his breath. He couldn’t hear anything over the roaring flames, and he knew he didn’t have much time left. Making it to the end of the hallway he picked up his axe and hacked open the door, hoping to find the woman. To his relief she was there, although barely conscious. The fire hadn’t reached her yet, but the smoke inhalation was worrying Lance - he had no idea how long she had been there.

Rushing up to her side Lance examined her carefully. The house groaned as the fire ate at its frame, the floor creaking ominously. The fire was slowly engulfing the room they were in and Lance knew they had to get out, fast. Spotting the window he quickly drew his axe once more, smashing it open. Tossing the axe aside, Lance picked up the woman before a loud bang sent heat rushing up Lance’s back - something in the kitchen must have exploded, he thought grimly. Lance grit his teeth and made the only decision he could. Taking a few steps back he readied himself before crashing through the window and out into the bushes. He did his best to shield the woman and thankfully they both made it down in one piece. Once he steadied himself, Hunk moved to help him, taking the woman away from him before helping him up out of the bushes.

Lance was panting, sweat dripping into his eyes as he trailed after Hunk towards the ambulances that had arrived. He was anxious to see if the woman was okay. The husband was there in seconds, and once the EMTs confirmed that she was going to make it, with teary eyes he thanked Lance for saving her, which Lance smiled and nodded in return.

Hunk on the other hand was more concerned for his friend. “Dude, did you just LEAP out of the window?!”

“Uhh… yeah? I did. Look I didn’t have a choice alright? I was running out of time and-”

“Yeah I know you had to do it, but that doesn’t make me any less worried, are you hurt anywhere??” Hunk made a quick 360, checking his friend for any injuries but it was hard to tell over all the soot and grime.

“Hey Hunk, chill I’m fine. Really. I just need to head back to the station and relax a little. I feel perfectly fine.” he grinned reassuringly at his friend who looked at him with a worried gaze but sighed reluctantly. “Fine, but no more jumping out of windows. Man, wait till Allura hears this.”

Lance gasped putting a hand on his chest in betrayal. “You wouldn’t! I did what I had to man!”

\---

As soon as Lance made it back to the station, he couldn’t wait to peel off his sweat soaked suit, grab some water, and just have some time to relax. But as soon as he started to remove his jacket he winced. Blinking in confusion, Lance glanced down at his arm only to find that the right sleeve was soaked through in blood. It was hard to tell since his suit was almost charred black, but now that the adrenaline rush had died down, he could feel the dull throb of what he knew now was an injury spreading over his arm. He must’ve slashed himself on the sharp broken edges of the window.

“Oh quiznak.”

Looking around nervously, Lance was relieved to see that none of the other firefighters were present. He didn’t want the whole station freaking out about him getting hurt, so he was glad no one was here to see his injury.

Sighing in relief, he cautiously peeled off the bloodied jacket sleeve, leaving him only in his sweaty blue t-shirt before he was able to take a better look at the cut. It was a long gash on his right forearm, and although it wasn’t bone deep, it was deep enough to have Lance grow concerned. As much as he wanted to brush it off as just a scratch, he knew it had to get properly treated and looked at by a professional. While he thought about how to bandage up the cut and make it to the hospital unnoticed, he heard a gasp followed by a clang. And the next thing he knew his face was full of Hunk.

“HOLY CROW LANCE! What the hell?? I thought you said you were fine!” Hunk all but screeched, his voice high with worry seeing the blood dripping from the huge cut on his arm.

Lance’s mouth opened and closed not sure what to say, before he sighed, deflating a little.

“Yea...I guess I wasn’t unscathed after all - but I swear! I didn’t notice until now, what should I do Hunk? I’m pretty sure I need to go to the hospital, but I can’t let Allura know or she’s going to kill me!”

“Screw what Allura thinks Lance, you need to get that checked out asap! Come on get in the car, I’ll drive you there. We can make something up to tell Allura on our way out."

Lance hesitated but nodded, knowing there was no other way out of this. “Alright, okay, let’s go to the hospital.” Hunk carefully wrapped a clean shirt he had around Lance’s arm as a temporary bandage. It was concerning how blood steadily soaked through, Hunk wasted no time, helping Lance into the passenger's side, before getting in and sped their way down towards Altea Hospital.

\---

Lance entered the hospital nervously, and although he realized that there was a chance he could see Keith again, he honestly didn’t like hospitals much. Hunk was still parking the car, dropping him off at the entrance first, so Lance was left alone to approach the counter. He relaxed a little seeing a familiar bespeckled face behind the counter. Pidge looked up with a bored expression before she perked up, recognizing who he was.

“Oh hey Lance! Wait, shouldn’t you be at work?” She asked confused. Looking him up and down from what she could see over the counter, Pidge realized that he looked rather disheveled and her brows pinched a little.

“Wait are you okay? Did you get hurt again?”

“Y-Yeah I’m fine Pidge I just… I have a cut I need to get looked at, and I don’t want Allura to know so if you can I dunno, get me in quick so I can leave and go back to the station that would be great.”

Pidge raised an eyebrow but her concern for him trumped over her urge to ask for more info.

“Well I probably could, I’ll just contact a doctor who’s free to take a look at you.”

“Thanks Pidgey.” Lance smiled in appreciation before he heard a familiar voice speak up behind him, although he couldn’t pinpoint who it was until he turned to see.

“Keith, look who it is.” Shiro smiled at Lance before turning to face Keith who was making his way over, hearing Shiro call his name.

Both Keith and Lance froze as soon as their eyes met, but the sting from his arm made him wince a little, which quickly pulled him back to why he was in the hospital in the first place. Immediately all three medical staff turned to Lance with worry. Keith moved past Shiro towards Lance as soon as he noticed the blood soaked shirt wrapped haphazardly around Lance’s arm. The doctor eyed it with a frown before looking back up to meet Lance’s eyes, which were looking at anywhere but Keith's.

“What happened? You’re bleeding a lot. We need to get you in and get that checked.” Keith said with worry, furrowing his brows.

Although the situation wasn’t ideal, both Shiro and Pidge exchanged knowing looks. "I’ll take care of the paperwork. Keith, you're free right now right? Why don't you take a look at Lance’s arm?" Pidge said looking at Keith, with a tone that Lance couldn't quite make out.

Keith looked up at Pidge with a confused expression, since no, he wasn’t free, but looking at Lance’s blood soaked arm he decided to play along. He knew from Pidge’s expression what she was thinking but at the moment Lance’s well being took priority; though he made a mental note to call her out on her BS after Lance was treated.

"Thanks Pidge. Lance, follow me, I’ll take a look at your arm in my office" Keith nodded towards her before turning to Lance and leading him away hurriedly.

\---

Keith’s office was cozy but modern. His desk was in front of the large window, with cups of stationery and stacks of papers, folders, and binders laid out neatly on it. Two bookshelves ran along the sides of wall near the desk, one on each side, and were filled with what Lance assumed to be medical texts. He noticed a small red succulent sitting on one of the shelves, with the word "RED" written in clean cursive on a label stuck to its pot. Lance smiled to himself, wondering if that was the plant’s name.

On the left side of the wall, just past the door, was an examination table. Beside it was a small cart that appeared to be full of medical supplies, which was probably just rolled in by a nurse, no doubt thanks to Pidge. On the right side of the wall sat a loveseat sofa. Keith beckoned Lance to sit there as he wheeled the medical cart over to him.

"Let me see your arm" Keith instructed, gently reaching for Lance’s arm and carefully unwrapping the makeshift bandage that was Hunk’s spare t-shirt. Lance would have to get him a new one considering how soaked through it was with his blood.

As Keith pulled and loosened the shirt, Lance tried to ignore the stinging of the cool disinfectant the doctor was dabbing over his wound by focusing on Keith’s face. He couldn't help but notice how long and pretty Keith’s eyelashes were, how his thick brows furrowed in concentration as he examined his arm, and how he had the slightest of dark circles under his eyes. His skin was pale and clear, smooth albeit a little dry. Maybe Lance could suggest him his favourite moisturizer as thanks? Would that be weird? He wasn’t that close with the too-good-looking doctor but considering the amount of time they had spent talking to each other during Lance’s last hospital stay, and how natural their conversations flowed, he assumed they were probably close enough to be called friends? Okay maybe a little more like an acquaintance, Lance decided with disappointment.

“Lance,” Keith said looking up at him, pulling him out of his mind’s ramblings. “I’ve cleaned up most of the gash, and luckily it doesn't look like anything vital was damaged. But it's pretty deep and it's going to have to be stitched up” Keith continued, and at those words Lance's face began to contort into a mix of worry and nervousness - he'd never had stitches before (at least not when he was conscious). And he was sure that his usually tanned complexion had paled a few shades due to his anxiousness at the mention of stitches.

“Um...okay?” The answer that came out of Lance as more of a question than an acknowledgement, his voice hitching up a few octaves near the end of his statement. Lance willed his rigid body and tensed shoulders to ease, but found that they wouldn’t relax despite his best efforts.

Noticing his nervousness, Keith chuckled. “Lance, don't worry, it won't take long and you won't feel a thing. Trust me.” His deep violet eyes softened as he spoke, looking straight into Lance's clear blue ones. And although Lance was pretty sure that that was what all doctors said to nervous patients, he still felt better hearing Keith say it. The fireman knew it was weird of him to say this; he knew that neither him or Keith were really that close, but he found himself trusting in Keith’s words regardless. Lance decided he would never admit to anyone, that if it weren’t for Keith’s soft expression and reassurance right then and there, he may or may not have had a bit of a panic attack. He ran into fires as a living for god’s sake, but there was just something about hospitals and needles that made Lance’s spine tingle.

Lance tensed when Keith moved to grab some medical equipment from the cart and Lance eyed them nervously, the slight calm he felt from Keith’s brief assurance blown away like the wind and once again replaced with anxiety.

Now Keith wasn’t new to nervous patients, it wasn’t uncommon, and Keith often prided himself in his ability to make his patients feel as comfortable as possible during their visits. However, seeing the nervousness in Lance’s eyes made Keith’s chest tighten, and he had the strong urge to make sure that Lance wouldn’t be nervous at all before he started.

“Hey Lance, it’s going to be okay. Can I ask you to do something for me?”

“U-Uhm… do what?” Lance’s voice still shook slightly and Keith shifted Lance’s arm onto the cart’s medical table, making sure to put a clean cloth underneath before shifting to block Lance’s view from his own arm. Keith felt Lance tense again but he kept speaking.

“Can you tell me about some of things you like?”

“S-Some of the things I like? Like… what though?”

“Hmm, like...what’s your favourite colour?”

“Oh Blue for sure! Any shade of blue is nice, but I guess ocean blue would be my favourite.”

Keith fought down the quirk of his lips, remembering that little fact from overhearing it from Lance’s stay at the hospital all those weeks ago.

“What about you Keith? What’s your favourite colour? Wait lemme guess, it’s red isn’t it?”

Keith blinked in surprise, not expecting Lance to pick the right colour off the bat. He turned to face Lance, while making sure to keep the man’s arm in place and out of Lance’s line of sight as he expertly injected the local anaesthetic. Keith was relieved to see that Lance barely even noticed, apparently too smug about getting Keith’s favourite colour correctly.

“How did you guess that?” Keith asked raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

Lance chuckled a little at Keith’s confused expression before he decided to indulge the doctor in his amazing detective skills. “Your little plant buddy over there is named “Red” so I just assumed.” He said with a grin while pointing to the small succulent with his good arm.

Keith snorted good naturedly before shaking his head. “I take it that you’re a pretty good detective then?”

“You could say that~” Lance sing-songed.

Keith huffed an amused laugh before turning back to start working the stitching, making sure to keep the conversation going. Although Keith wouldn’t say he loved socializing, he found that he didn’t really mind conversing with Lance like this, it felt oddly natural.

“What about your favourite food?” Keith continued.

“Oh man, how the heck am I going to pick my favourite when there’s so much good food? Though I guess anything Hunk makes would probably end up my new favourite.” Lance laughed, then hummed in thought. “If I had to choose though, I’d have say garlic knots and good ol’ pizza! Oh man, now I wanna get some. Do you think I can get some close by?” he asked with an unnecessarily serious expression.

Keith paused to turn to Lance, half of the stitches finished already, he quickly resumed his work while he continued to speak. “Well, I’m sure there’s probably a pizza place close by, not that I would know though.”

“Wait what? What do you mean you don’t know, haven’t you been around this area of Altea Hospital for awhile? You must’ve went out to eat at least a few times right?”

Keith hesitated a little, wondering if he should just make up an answer rather than answer truthfully and most likely be made fun of. But glancing at Lance’s questioning gaze he decided against lying. “Uhh, no, not really. I usually just eat from the hospital’s cafeteria.”

Lance gasped loudly, almost startling Keith who was looking over with a frown wondering what Lance was gasping at.

“You eat hospital food everyday? Keith. Buddy, my man. How could you eat that everyday and not be tired of it? That’s it, the next time you get some time off, I’ll take you to one of my favourite pizza joints. You’ll love it.” the fireman nodded having made up his mind. He missed the look of surprise on Keith’s face but the doctor was quick to hide it and finished up the stitches.

“You think so?” Keith asked, not sure why his heart was beating faster than usual. He frowned, not understanding why Lance always made him feel weird when he was around him.

“Yeah! Well I mean, even if you don’t like pizza it's cool, it’ll be my treat. You can't say no to free food now can you?” the brunette flashed Keith a small smile which Keith returned with a genuine one of his own.

“I guess so, maybe one day.”

Lance nodded, opening his mouth to ask Keith what he liked to eat before he was interrupted.

“Alright Lance, all finished, I’m just going to wrap it up for you and you should be good to go. Just make sure to keep it dry for today at least, and then change the bandage daily if it gets wet or dirty. Come back in a week or so and I can remove the stitches for you then. I’ll also prescribe some light painkillers for you in case the wound bothers you, and some antibiotic cream to keep it from getting infected.” Keith stated, now finished bandaging Lance’s forearm and turning to write the prescription.

The fireman blinked, almost forgetting that he was there for stitches at all, too engaged in his conversation with Keith to even notice the doctor had finished. He cautiously pulled his numb arm from the medical table and looked down at the neat bandage in awe.

“Wow, you weren’t lying when you said it wasn’t going to hurt.” he mumbled more to himself than anything, but froze realizing Keith had most likely heard what he said, and he felt a small flush of embarrassment colour his cheeks.

“I - It feels a lot better now, thanks.” he added, hoping Keith didn’t catch what he mumbled before.

“Of course, just come back if anything bothers you okay? And make sure not to strain it with any strenuous activity, you don’t want the gash to reopen. ”

“Yeah, sounds good. Thank you again.” Lance nodded, cradling his numb arm towards his chest while giving Keith a thankful smile. “I should probably head back to the station now, Allura thinks we went out for lunch so I don’t want her getting suspicious” Lance laughed nervously, imagining the scolding that he and Hunk would get if Allura found out where they really were.

Keith was tempted to ask why he lied about coming to the hospital, but judging by Lance’s sheepish expression he decided not to push. While Lance babbled on about what Allura would do to him if she found out, Keith, who was no longer worried about the other’s arm, found himself taking in Lance’s appearance more clearly.

His cheeks were smeared with soot, and his brown locks were sticking up in ways that Keith didn’t think were even possible, but it somehow made him look endearing all the same. He was still wearing the lower half of his bunker gear - the trousers and boots also coloured black with soot, but the most distracting part was the almost skin tight blue shirt Lance was currently wearing. It was still damp with sweat, and it clung to Lance’s body like a second skin, not leaving much to the imagination. He gulped. Keith knew that he had seen Lance in less clothing before during his comatose state, but never once did he stop to consider that the other man was...attractive? He was always more focused on his task - Oh god, when had thoughts like that start to invade his mind?! Keith had never had his mind wander from his work before, and with a patient no less! He snapped out of his reverie when he realized Lance was giving him a concerned look. Had he asked him something? Keith hadn’t heard his question at all. Shit.

“Keith? I asked if it’s okay for me to leave now? As much as I’d love to chat more, I really have to go back to the station.” Lance repeated, realizing Keith probably didn’t hear him the first time.

Keith cleared his throat and nodded, handing Lance the prescription for his antibiotic ointment and painkillers before moving to the door to his office, not daring to meet Lance’s gaze.

“Yeah, I’ll lead you back to the main lobby.” he said, trying his best to sound casual.

Keith fought the flush that was fighting to come up to his face, the realization that he had just ogled his patient making his head spin. He almost ran into Shiro on his way out into the lobby. Thankfully Lance didn’t notice since he had ran ahead of Keith towards Hunk, waving his good arm toward his friend.

“Lance! Oh man I’m glad that you got it patched up. Is he going to be okay?”

Hunk turned to Keith who shifted to face him, and away from glaring at Shiro who had an innocent smile plastered on his face, unphased by his little brother’s glare.

“Oh uh, yes, he’s going to be fine, the cut was deep but luckily it didn’t damage anything important. It should heal well on its own.”

Hunk sighed in relief, patting Lance on the back. “That’s good to hear, thanks Keith! We’re gonna have to get going though, but we really appreciate your help guys.” Hunk said with a smile turning to Shiro and Pidge.

They all bid their goodbyes, Lance moving to the counter to ruffle Pidge’s hair much to her annoyance, before both firefighters made their way out the hospital doors.

Keith hadn’t realized how tense he had been until Lance and Hunk had both left. His shoulders sagging as he watched the automatic doors close behind them.

Letting out a sigh, he turned to face Shiro, who was still eyeing him with a knowing smile that Keith was all too familiar with. And he was really starting to hate that expression on his big brother’s face.

“What is it Shiro.” the shorter boy gritted, not wanting to hear what he had to say but he also knew he couldn’t just ignore him either.

"Hm? What are you talking about Keith?" Shiro replied innocently, voice infuriatingly casual, with that annoying smile spread over his face.

"Shiro, you’ve been wearing that creepy smile ever since Lance arrived today, and it’s really annoying. If you have something to say, just say it."

“Oh it’s nothing Keith, don’t worry about it. I just thought it was nice of you to help Lance today."

“Yeah, seems like someone plays favourites." Pidge sang, wiggling her eyebrows at Keith.

"WHAT?!" Keith asked incredulously, his voice cracking in the middle of his exclamation.

Realizing he had just shouted out loud in the lobby, he saw many of the patients and nurses had glanced his way from his outburst. Keith blushed before crossing his arms defensively “What are you two even talking about? It just so happened to work out that way because I had free time." He lied, knowing full well both Shiro and Pidge knew that he had a full schedule today. "Why am I even bothering to tell you all this?! UGH I’m leaving, I have a lot of work to do, I don't have time for this." He huffed, before storming off back in the direction of his office.

Both Shiro and Pidge watched Keith go before exchanging amused glances, Shiro laughing good naturedly while Pidge snickered at Keith’s retreating form.

\---

Lance sunk into the comfortable passengers seat in Hunk’s car, still cradling his numb arm, not quite sure what to do with it at the moment. Although the numbness was unsettling, it was better than pain he supposed. Honestly he wanted nothing more than to sleep. It had been a stressful day and he was sure that losing a substantial amount of blood also played a part of it. While humming to the radio along with Hunk in his attempts to keep himself awake, he caught sight of his own reflection in the side mirror and gasped loudly.

Hunk yelped and swerved a little at the sudden gasp and turned to Lance with wide eyes.

“WHAT? WHAT?! WHAT IS IT? DO I NEED TO GO BACK?”

The brunette clung to his seatbelt with his good arm at the swerve, but paid it no mind before he turned to Hunk.

“Oh. My. God. I look like a goddamned wreck! Why didn’t you tell me man? I can’t believe Keith saw me like this.” he lamented, running his hand through his disheveled hair and sinking lower into his seat. His little crush on Keith was well known to Hunk. And although Lance was never one to openly admit his crushes, Hunk was probably the only person he’d even trust enough to tell such sensitive information. But today, his bro had failed him.

Hunk sighed in relief before laughing at the sight of his best friend sulking. “Dude chill, you looked ten times worse when you first met the guy. Hell you were like, really roughed up when he first saw you.”

“Not the point man! I was almost dead, so that doesn’t count! I bet Keith thinks I’m some sort of dirty slob now. Just look at my hair, and my shirt!”

Hunk couldn't stop himself from laughing at his friend’s ridiculously dramatic wailing. Lance had always been a hopeless romantic, and as endearing as it was, it was also quite funny if Hunk was honest to himself.

“Huuuuunk!! I thought you were my bro! Bros don't let other bros look like slobs in front of their crushes!” he flailed his arms - okay bad idea - he winced and continued flailing his one good arm to try and emphasize his point to his friend.

“Alright alright, I get it, I’ll be sure to tell you next time alright? But seriously Lance, it was the emergency room and he knows you’re a firefighter so I really don’t see the problem.”

Lance sighed a long suffering sigh, his little outburst draining what little energy he had left. He pouted, jutting out his lower lip way more than necessary before shaking his head.

“If only everyone was as nice as you Hunk, then maybe I wouldn’t have to worry about how I look as much. Have you seen Keith? I need to like...I dunno, up my hot game you know?” Lance furrowed his brows in thought. He had no idea what type Keith even liked. Hell, he didn’t even know if Keith liked guys.

Hunk gave Lance a small sympathetic smile as he turned into the station and parked the car.

“Hey come on buddy, just be yourself! You’re great as you are, and if Keith doesn’t see that, well, then it’s his loss.” Hunk reassured his friend while patting his back.

Lance smiled a little at his best friend's words and shook his head.  
“Man Hunk, you’re too good to me.”

Hunk laughed again, glad to see that Lance wasn't fretting anymore.

“Plus, I think you should be more worried about what to say to Allura once she sees your arm. As much as I hate to say it but, there’s no way you’ll be able to do work and pretend nothing’s wrong with your arm like that. Even if we do try hide the fact that you went to the hospital.”

Lance deflated, his shoulders hunching up to his ears realizing that Hunk was right.

“Oh Quiznak, what do I do, she’s going to make me do so many drills and scrub the firetrucks clean for a month!” Lance shouted.

“Nah, she wouldn't do that to you with your arm like that. Maybe she'll get you to file and reorganise everything in the archives instead.” Hunk offered.

Lance groaned pathetically, “That's even worse!”

The two tried their best to sneak back into the station without Allura noticing, only to be caught by Coran instead. “Hello boys! Back from your little lunch outing already?” Coran’s chipper voice rang.

Lance quickly whipped his injured arm behind his back to try and hide it as Coran moved closer. “Uh, yeah we're back! Time to go back to work ahaha…come on Hunk” Lance said nervously, tugging Hunk along with him with his good arm.

But before Lance and Hunk could make it to the next room, Coran, ever the one with an eye for detail, spots Lance's bandaged arm with ease.

“Lance my boy, hold on just a minute. What’s happened to your arm?”

Lance flinched and slowly turned to face the older man, dread filling his stomach, realizing that he had been caught already.

Putting all of his hopes on this one last chance to save himself, Lance replied nervously, “Oh this?? It’s just a little scrape, nothing to worry about!”

Not being easily fooled, Coran inched closer, inspecting the bandaged arm. “It looks more than just a little scrape to me, in fact, it looks professionally bound!”

Having their secret found out so soon, Lance could only beg Coran to keep it a secret from Allura. But unfortunately, all of Lance’s good luck was apparently used up for the day. Allura entered the lobby where the three were gathered just as Lance pleaded to Coran.

“Please Coran, don’t tell Allura that-”

“Don’t tell me what?” Allura said as she walked up to Lance and Hunk, suspicious.

“Eep! Nothing!” Lance squealed.

Hunk watched Coran and Allura nervously, knowing they were caught for sure. And even though Hunk was a bro, he also didn’t have the best willpower when it came to lying, especially under Allura’s scrutinizing gaze.

“Lance-slashed-his-arm-when-he-jumped-through-a-window-we-just-came-back-from-the-hospital-after-getting-it-patched-up” Hunk spilled everything in one breath, then slapped his hands over his mouth.

Lance gasped at his friend, his jaw falling open and a look of utter betrayal crossing his face before his jaw snapped shut with a click under the intensity of both Allura’s and Coran’s gazes.

Taking a deep breath, Allura smiled, which was even worse than the outburst and scolding that Lance was expecting. Instead of a lecture, she calmly told Lance to head home early and take care of himself, and to try not to strain his injury any further.

Suspicious, but not wanting to push his luck, Lance agreed and quickly headed to his locker - but not before shooting a glare at Hunk for his betrayal. Right before Lance stepped out of the room however, he heard Allura say sweetly, “Oh and Lance? The archives will be waiting for you tomorrow.” Groaning loudly, he could just barely make out Allura and Coran’s laugh as he continued on his way.

“As for you, Hunk”, Allura started, returning her gaze to him, “because you were kind enough to tell me Lance’s little secret, I won’t make you do extra drills for the next week. However, you will be on fire truck cleaning duty for the next 3 days.” She concluded and clapped her hands together.

Hunk couldn’t help a small whine from slipping from him, and replied with a quiet “Yes ma’am” before turning to head back to his station.

As Hunk made his way through the door, he heard Coran come up behind him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder as they walked. “Don’t worry Hunk! It won’t be so bad, I’ll be there helping you the entire time!”

“Thanks Coran” Hunk managed through a small smile, grateful to not have to be scrubbing the trucks on his own.

On second thought, maybe scrubbing on his own would be better than scrubbing while listening to Coran’s long, arduous tales of his youth. Hunk could only sigh.

 

**\---1 week later ---**

 

Lance swung his legs, waiting anxiously for Keith to come in. Trying his best to calm his nervousness, he examined the room with interest. The first time he was so nervous he barely paid attention to Keith’s office. But now that he had some time to kill, he found himself trying to figure out what Keith liked through the little objects that decorated his office. Lance knew he was a little early for his appointment, but he was glad that Keith would be the one to be removing his stitches so he made sure not to be late.

After giving Red a better look with a small smile, a collection of books caught Lance’s attention. They were sitting at the end of the shelf, and Lance tilted his head curiously, trying to read the titles on the spines. To his surprise, they weren’t medical books. Not even close. This particular shelf was filled with books on astronomy, aliens, and cryptids. Holy crow, was Keith a conspiracy nerd? Lance could barely believe this new revelation. Keith seemed so serious most of the time, he never would have guessed he’d believe in such things. Just as Lance was debating whether or not to reach for the first book, the door swung open.

“W-What are you doing over there?!” Keith nearly shouted, a flush starting to creep up his face.

Lance jolted, jerking his hand back to his side with a small squeak escaping his lips; Keith nearly scaring him out of his skin.

”NOTHING!”

Lance stared wide eyed at Keith, wondering if he had somehow made him angry. He hadn’t meant to snoop in Keith’s office, but he supposed that’s what it seemed like.

“I-I’m sorry I shouldn’t have touched any of your stuff.” Lance stammered, not expecting such an outburst from Keith.

Seeing Lance’s shocked and hurt expression, Keith quickly backpedaled. “No, no. It’s alright. I was just surprised, I didn’t mean to shout at you like that, I’m sorry.”

Lance slowly relaxed a little at Keith’s tone, although his brows were still pulled down in worry.  
“A-Are you sure? I just um...I’m kinda interested in that kind of stuff so I was curious. I’m sorry I won’t do it again.” he tried to explain while putting his hands up.

Relaxing a little at hearing Lance’s words, Keith smiled and and let out a small sigh. “It’s fine, you can borrow one if you want” he offered.

Almost immediately Lance’s usual bright smile returned to his face, “Really? Are you sure?! Wait...why do you have these books in your office? Are you interested in this stuff too?”

Keith coughed, trying his best to stay casual, not wanting Lance to find out about his hobby regarding conspiracy theories - no one except Shiro, and Pidge who somehow always found out about everything, knew about that side of him. And having those two tease him on a daily basis was more than enough.

“Uh no, those are for the kids if they have to wait, or uh… if they need a distraction.” he said lamely, wincing mentally at his horrible ability to lie.

“Oh...I see...I guess that’s what kids are into these days huh?” Lance stated, only half believing what Keith said. Squinting at the book’s spines again, he continued, “These look kind of advanced for kids though, but if you say so...” he trailed off not wanting to upset Keith anymore than he already had so he quickly dropped the subject. Even if Keith had said he wasn’t bothered, Lance had a gut feeling that he was, at least just a tiny bit.

“Anyway,” Keith started, trying to change the topic, “let’s take a look at your stitches.”

Lance immediately felt his nervousness resurface at the mention of the stitches, but slowly shuffled over to sit down on the chair next to the examination table on the other side of the room.

Like before, Keith gently took Lance’s arm into his hands, and with a practiced motion unwrapped the bandages, revealing the gash. “It looks like it healed pretty well, I think we can remove the threads today.”

With that, Keith felt Lance slightly tense up, and despite himself, Keith found the contrast between the big brave fireman and his fear of the tiniest of medical procedures endearing.

“Don’t worry so much Lance, it’ll be fine. I promise you won’t feel a thing.”

“Like...like last time right?” he inquired nervously.

“Yes, like last time”, Keith answered, smiling, remembering Lance’s last visit.

“Okay, okay, do what you gotta do.” Lance mumbled before looking at the far wall and away from what Keith was doing.

“Alright” Keith chuckled, and again took up the same position around Lance’s arm, hiding what he was working on from his view. “So Lance, you said you were interested the books I have on the shelf? That means you must believe in aliens right? What makes you think so?” Keith began his usual questioning to take Lance’s mind off what he was doing, but at the same time Keith was also curious himself.

“Oh man, don’t even get me started on aliens Keith. Like there has to be aliens out there. We can barely reach out of our own puny little solar system despite there being literally billions of different galaxies in the universe?! We’re like smaller than a speck of dust. Insignificant.” Lance gestured wildly with his free arm, his tone clearly showing how passionate he was about the topic.

“I mean yeah okay, we humans are pretty cool and all, but there’s also so much stuff we can’t even explain in our own planet, so who is it to say that they don’t exist just because we don’t have any solid proof? I mean because of how vast the universe is, I think it’s really dumb to think we’re the ONLY living beings out there.There has to be aliens...somewhere. It makes sense!”

It seems like the topic let loose a storm that Keith was not expecting, but at the same time Keith agreed with Lance entirely.

“Like have you seen those videos of the crazy lights in the sky? They do NOT move like normal projectiles or jets or anything we have, there’s no other way to explain them! They fly up vertically and in circles Keith! With rings of lights, and, and oh! The huge scale of those crop circles and symbols that they found in corn fields and even carved on the side of mountains? They still haven’t found any way to explain it. Dude, no humans can make those. Even now with our current technology we can’t do it. It’s all so fascinating and mysterious. Mannn I hope we make “official” contact with aliens soon, I need explanations!” Lance all but shouted before realizing how much he had babbled about aliens and abruptly slammed his mouth shut, worried that he might have weirded Keith out.

Unbeknownst to Lance though, Keith was actually enjoying his passionate rant quite a bit. Trying his best to reign in his own interest, he tried to answer as casually as he could manage.  
“So do you think there would be any aliens in our own solar system? What about Mars?”

“Hmmm well that’s hard to say...I do think there are though, we just can’t find them with our tech yet! That would explain all those weird anomalies in those photos and why there have been so many sightings, they must be curious about what we’re doing. They might even be just under our noses and we have no idea!” Lance reasoned, face scrunched up in thought.

Keith hummed in agreement, as he finished tugging out the last of the thread from Lance’s arm. After quickly applying some more antibiotic cream he carefully wrapped up his forearm.

“Alright Lance, you’re all done.”

Lance perked up, taking a look at his arm and smiling gratefully.

“Wow Keith, you really are the best doc ever!” He chuckled lightly, only half joking.

He had never been good with hospitals, but Keith made something he dreaded into something tolerable -- dare he say even a little pleasant. Lance wished he didn’t need to get injured to speak to Keith, but he supposed they weren’t close enough to be friends outside of his appointments, much to his dismay. A part of Lance wanted to ask Keith for his number, but he knew that Keith might take it the wrong way, and he had no intention of ruining what little friendship they shared now.

Keith blinked at the compliment, finding that funny feeling spread through his stomach and chest again. The smile came naturally and Keith laughed a little.

“Yeah? That’s some pretty high praise, Lance.”

“Of course, I don’t say that to just any doctor, but don’t get used to it.” Lance said playfully with a finger gun, before realizing he may or may not have just _flirted_ with _his doctor_ unintentionally. Realizing his mistake he quickly cleared his throat and laughed nervously. “Anyway, I guess I should, um, get going. Thanks for patching me up again.”

Keith was momentarily shocked into silence. Did Lance just _flirt_ with him?! Or was he just going crazy? Before it was too obvious, he regained enough of his composer to reply to Lance as he made his way to the door. “Um, yeah, no problem! Let me know if there’s ever something you need me to look at.” He said on impulse.

Lance waved goodbye, which Keith returned, trying his best to stay calm. Once the door closed, and the events of what just transpired truly sunk in, his face flushed a deep shade of red that could rival the succulent sitting on his shelf. Keith leaned against the examination table, hands covering his face.

“Oh my god Keith, pull yourself together!”

\---

Over the next few months, Lance visited Altea Hospital regularly. Between his demanding work at the station and visiting his family who lived in the next town, it had become a new routine of his.

Not only did wanting to visit Pidge and Shiro more often motivate him to go, he also secretly enjoyed being able to interact with Keith more than just the occasional “see Keith when you get hurt” thing they had going before. Although it was nowhere near to the amount of interaction Lance would have preferred, and they were probably just barely friends now, it was definitely an improvement.

Lance knew that his crush on the doctor was steadily growing into something more. Admittedly, he had fallen for Keith’s looks at first - no matter how dumb mullets were - Keith somehow managed to rock one. But the more he got to know him, Lance felt like he was steadily falling into a deeper hole he wouldn’t be able to get himself out of.

Despite a part of him wanting to just visit whenever he could, Lance’s pride wouldn’t allow himself to come off as desperate, so he only visited the hospital if he had:

A. Gotten an injury of any sort, even if it wasn’t serious at all.

B. Had something cool to show Pidge.

Or

C. Bring in awesome food made by Hunk as an excuse.

Lance had repeatedly suggested Hunk should accompany him to the hospital, to you know, make it less awkward (and be his wingman), and let the hospital staff compliment his cooking. But the larger man always just gave him an encouraging smile and a “Go get him buddy!” It was a little odd, since Hunk always loved having others try his cooking, but his buddy had eagerly left the station before Lance could even interject. He had a gut feeling that Hunk was hiding something and that he was avoiding coming with him to visit the hospital for some unknown reason...but Lance decided he wouldn’t push if Hunk really didn’t want to.

So here he was, on one of rare days he had half of the day off, standing in front of Altea Hospital with a freshly baked mango cheesecake, and a batch of peanut butter cookies in his other hand held carefully in his arms. Making his way in the automatic double doors, he greeted Pidge who was fiddling with some medical equipment at the counter. Although she was a lab technician, it was a wonder why she was never actually in the labs in the back.

Pidge’s expression changed from concentrated to a sly grin, knowing full well why Lance was here. Although Lance hadn’t said anything to Pidge about his crush on Keith, his bespeckled friend always seemed to know his thoughts regardless.

“Hey there Lance, here to play Romeo again?”

Lance pouted, jutting out his lower lip to show how much he appreciated Pidge’s smartass remarks.

“Okay I get it, you don't want these freshly baked peanut butter cookies then? Alright~” Lance sing-songed before making his way to Shiro instead. “Hey Shiro, I brought some mango cheese cake that Hunk baked, would you like some?” Shiro turned to face Lance and gave him a friendly smile.

“Hey there Lance, that sounds great, thanks for the offer.”

“Oh and you can give these peanut butter cookies to the rest of the medical sta-”

“Don’t you dare McClain! You’ll regret it if you don't give me those cookies.” Pidge called while making her way over to them, glaring at Lance.

“That’s what you get for being a little gremlin.” Lance replied, sticking his tongue out at her like the mature adult he was.

Pidge grumbled before grinning evilly, seeing Keith making his way over. She had the perfect plan. “Alright Lance, here’s the deal. You give me those cookies, and I’ll give you something worthwhile.”

Lance raised a delicate eyebrow, holding the cookies and cake up above his head to make sure she wouldn’t steal it.“Go on…” he urged, Pidge’s tone piquing his interest.

Shiro blinked watching the two interact with raised brows, wondering what they were going on about.

"If you give me the cookies," she said slowly, emphasizing each word, "I’ll put your number in Keith’s phone."

Lance nearly choked on his own spit, and he could have sworn he heard Shiro trying to hide something with a cough.

Trying to hide the eagerness he felt, Lance huffed, pretending like it wasn’t a big deal before leaning closer to Pidge’s ear, not wanting Shiro to hear him basically agreeing to forcing his digits onto his little bro.

“Fine, you got a deal Pidgey, but if you’re lying...I’m going to tell Hunk to never bake you another batch of cookies ever again.” He threatened before handing the bag of cookies to her.

"Deal, although I doubt Hunk would ever agree to that”, she mumbled the last part quietly to herself.

Shiro watched them with an amused expression before turning to see Keith stop just behind him.

“Oh hey Keith, you came just in time, Lance brought in Hunk’s mango cheesecake, do you want any?” Shiro asked with a knowing smile.

Lance almost dropped the damn cake hearing Keith’s name, too engrossed in their plotting that he almost didn’t notice.

“O-Oh hey Keith! How are you doing? -- Uh y-yeah what Shiro said, would you like some?” he asked, trying not to squirm. Quickly, he made his way to the nearest countertop and took out the paper plates and utensils he brought before passing a slice to Keith and Shiro. Pidge sat next to them, devouring the delicious cookies in record time.

“Remember what I said about Hunk’s cooking being the best? Well this cake is gonna blow your mind Keith!” he grinned, passing him his piece of cake with a smug grin.

Keith looked at the cake a little skeptical, but took it anyway. He didn’t have a huge sweet tooth, but he could appreciate a good cake.

Shiro had already eaten half of his cake in a single bite, his eyes wide in surprise. “Wow Lance, this is really good. Thank Hunk for us for baking such a delicious cake.”

Lance could only grin, nodding proudly. “Of course! I’ll be sure to let him know!”

Keith stared at the cake, dubious at first, thinking Shiro was probably just exaggerating. But as he took a bite, he realized neither Lance nor Shiro were joking - Hunk’s cheesecake was probably the best cake he’d ever had.

Lance watched Keith’s reaction carefully, smiling a little when he saw the Keith’s expression change from wariness to pleasantly surprised.

“Good right?” Lance laughed, but felt a small pang of jealousy at Hunk’s amazing cooking skills. Dammit, he wanted to be the reason Keith made that kind of expression.

Lance conversed with the three of them casually while they ate, but much to everyone’s disappointment they couldn’t really relax and chat for more than 10 minutes. Shiro was called away first for an emergency before Keith realized he also had to get going for an appointment soon.

“Hey Lance, thanks for the cake, tell Hunk his cooking really is great. Sorry we couldn’t talk longer.” he said while throwing his plate into the trash bin.

Lance blinked before smiling understandingly, “Yeah well, you guys have lives to save right? It’s alright I was going to head back early to visit my family anyway. I’ll uh, see you guys again later, keep the cake.” He turned to leave, waving at them before stepping out of the door.

Keith sighed watching Lance leave. The brunette had only stayed for a total of 20 minutes and now he was gone again. Letting out another sigh, Keith turned to go back to work, but not before being stopped by Pidge.

“Hey Keith can you sign some papers real quick before you go?”

“Papers? What papers?”

“Just some technical equipment I need, but I need a doctor’s signature.”

Keith raised a brow but nodded and walked over to the counter, taking out the pen from his pocket and signing the pages Pidge had given him. Pidge was quick, knowing that Keith kept is phone in his coat pocket and took it with ease. Turning around while Keith was still distracted, she quickly entered Lance’s digits and put the name “Lance ♥” under contacts before slipping the phone back in.

Keith straightened, handing the papers back to her once he signed all the pages.

“There, is that all?” Keith inquired.

“Yeah, thanks.” Pidge said with a wide grin that made Keith feel unsettled. He squinted at her, wondering what she was planning before giving up trying to figure it out.

“Alright well, I’m going to go back to work.” he said hesitantly before leaving the lobby, missing the sly grin Pidge sent his way after he left.

\---

A few days had passed since Pidge had skillfully entered Lance’s number into Keith’s phone, and much to her annoyance, the oblivious doctor didn't seem to have noticed it yet. Lance had been texting her regularly, asking if she had held up her end of the bargain and wanted to know how Keith had reacted. But she had little to no info the update her friend on because, damn was Keith slow. She guessed he rarely ever even used his phone which was a problem. She hoped he would see it soon, or she would have to intervene.

Right in the middle of her planning, said doctor walked past the main lobby towards the cafeteria. Pidge narrowed her eyes at her friend, trying to mentally will him to check his goddamn phone.

Keith made his way down to the cafeteria to get a cup of well deserved coffee, unbeknownst to Pidge’s glare. It was almost 12 am in the morning, and he had worked double shifts today because Shiro had come down with a cold. His older brother insisted that he could find another doctor to take over his shifts, but he knew Shiro was worried about his patients so Keith had insisted. Deciding to check up on his brother, and ask Shiro a few questions regarding an elderly patient, he took out his phone tiredly. As much as he loved work, working a 12 hour shift was quite tiring. Sipping his coffee, he scrolled through his limited contacts and almost choked on his coffee. Rubbing his tired eyes, he looked at his phone again with wide eyes to make sure he wasn’t just seeing things and did a double take.

The contact “Lance ♥” read clearly on his phone screen and Keith didn’t know what to feel. A part of him was a little excited at the prospect of being able to contact Lance anytime he wanted, but he also felt unsettled having no idea how Lance’s number had somehow made its way into his phone. With a heart no less. Did Lance do this? Was his initial thought, but thinking back to the times Lance had visited the hospital Keith pushed that thought aside. Lance couldn’t have done it. Realization dawned on him. It had to be Pidge. Keith didn’t know whether to be mad or grateful. He knew he likely would’ve never been able to muster up the courage to ask Lance for his number on his own, but on the other hand, wouldn’t it be creepy if he just texted Lance without Lance personally giving him his number?

Keith nibbled on the edge of his coffee cup, brows furrowed in thought. He stared at the numbers much longer than was necessary before sighing. His eyes lingered a little longer on the numbers before scrolling down to Shiro’s contact and clicking call. He would think about what to do about Lance’s contact later, but for now he tried his best to ignore the butterflies in his stomach as Shiro picked up the phone.

 

\--TBC--


	4. Call me maybe?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas! And our hardworking doctor has a surprise in store for him from Santa's little helper!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thank you so much for all the kudos and comments, and for sticking with us so far! We're glad you're liking our silly little fic!  
> There's some texting in this chapter but AO3 doesn't support emojis so we had to improvise, but we hope it won't take away from the overall fic.  
> This is another long chapter, we hope you enjoy! ヾ(≧∇≦*)ゝ

**.ﾟ☆ 1 Month Later - Christmas Day ☆ﾟ.**

 

It’s gotten cold throughout the week, and the snow had been falling steadily all day, leaving a soft, fluffy layer of snow covering the ground. Looking at the scene from his office window, Keith sighed peacefully - it was going to be a beautiful white Christmas again this year. And yet, Keith still hadn't contacted Lance - no matter how much Pidge threatened him to do it, he never did. And why would he? Lance probably didn't even know Keith had his number.

They had gotten closer over the past month, but it would still be weird wouldn't it? To someone on the outside, probably not, but Keith had spent way too much time overthinking it and convincing himself it was. And even if he did contact Lance, he had no idea what to say. By now, Keith was aware that he most likely had some sort of crush on the fireman, though there was no way in hell he’d ever admit that out loud, not even to Shiro. It was just a crush, he kept trying to tell himself. It’ll pass. Besides, he doesn't know if Lance even swung that way. God, why were feelings so complicated? Keith was never good with emotions, and he knew he most likely never would be.  
  
Just as Keith was about to spiral into another long internal debate, the sound of Shiro entering his office made him look up.  
  
“Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas Keith!” Shiro said with a loud booming voice, purposely lowering it to try and sound like Santa Claus.  
  
Keith felt a headache coming on already and it was only 8 am in the morning. He groaned loudly, it was way too early for this.  
  
“What the _hell_ are you wearing Shiro?” Keith lamented, rubbing a hand over his face. His brother was still wearing his white coat, but with along with it wore a giant red santa hat and white fluffy beard, the usual clipboard he carried replaced with a basket of chocolates and candy canes. Keith tried his hardest not to cringe.

“Come on Keith, don't be like that. It's Christmas!” Shiro exclaimed enthusiastically, handing a candy cane to his younger brother.

Keith’s face scrunched up at the candy cane, eying it with distaste and pushing it back to Shiro. “Yeah, I know it is. But that still doesn’t explain the ridiculous get up.”

“It’s for the kids who have to spend their Christmas here. I thought it would make them happier if Santa came and gave them a visit" Shiro explained with a smile.

Keith sighed, a small smile making its way up to his lips despite a part of him wanting to hit his head against a wall. Shiro always had good intentions.  
  
“Yeah alright, well you do whatever you want, just don’t rope me into...whatever it is you’re doing.” He gestured to all of Shiro. “Are you the only one in ridiculous getup? Don’t tell me you asked all of the staff to participate.” Keith pleaded, not sure if he’d be able to concentrate on work if the staff looked like clowns. 

"Yeah, most of the staff are casually dressed up, and you will be too. No excuses." Shiro said in his big brother tone.

Keith hummed with uninterest before frowning realizing what Shiro just said. “Wait what? No. I am not, Shiro. I’m not a kid anymore and you can’t use that tone against me.”  
  
Shiro just smiled and ruffled into the basket. Taking out another santa hat, he approached Keith with every intention of putting it on his little brother, no matter how hard he struggled.  
  
“Don’t. You. Dare. Takashi Shirogane. I will make you regret it.” Keith glowered, taking a step backwards.  
  
“Like hell I’m letting you!” Keith exclaimed as he tried his best to expertly dodge Shiro, making his way past him and out of his office door towards the lobby.

Try as he might, there was no escaping Shiro. Keith was never able to escape Shiro’s antics as a kid, and he didn't manage to now either. As an act of revenge for ignoring her advice to call Lance, Pidge had ambushed him, dressed as a - was she a bearded elf? - effectively slowing his escape and allowing Shiro to catch up behind him and skillfully shoving the stupid santa hat over his head.  
  
Keith glared at them angrily, crossing his arms in defiance and discontent, the santa hat making him look ridiculous. “Why are you guys like this, I hate both of you.”  
  
Shiro and Pidge shared a high five.

"You know you love us Keith" Pidge said triumphantly, while Shiro admired his handiwork.

Keith rolled his eyes, straightening the damn thing grumpily. “I don’t get what the big deal is with these stupid hats and headbands. Also, you both look ridiculous with those beards, get rid of them.”

Thankfully because it was Christmas, the hospital was much more quiet than usual, so their antics weren’t causing a scene like it usually would. But Keith still hated it. Shiro just laughed at how angry Keith was, intentionally making it sound like “ho ho ho” to annoy him.

 

Just as Keith opened his mouth to diss Shiro again, the main double doors slid open. Two figures made their way through the flurry of snow and through the door, one wearing reindeer antlers and the other dressed in a complete santa suit. As they approached, Keith realized it was Lance, wearing the flashing antlers with fluffy ears, and Hunk in full santa getup.  
  
“Hey guys!” Hunk waved at the three medical staff standing in the lobby, carrying a huge sack on his back while Lance was holding two large festive bags under each of his arms.  
  
Keith froze, taking in Hunk and Lance. Lance, dare he say it, looked cute in the stupid antlers, and he felt a small flush creep up his face.

Pidge had a shit eating grin on her face, not missing the look Keith had sent Lance. “What was that about stupid headbands? Like I said, you just like to play favourites.” She teased. Keith glowered, elbowing her.  
  
“Hey Keith, Pidge, Shiro! Merry Christmas~!” Lance waved as best he could, eyes brightening as soon as he spotted them and quickly making his way over with Hunk trailing behind.  
  
“Merry Christmas to you too Lance, Hunk. What brings you two here? You have so much on you too, what’s all that for?” Shiro asked quizzically seeing Hunk’s large sack and Lance’s arm full of bags.  
  
“Oh! They’re presents of course! For you guys, the medical staff and the kids if you'll allow it. Hunk and I made some Christmas cookies and cupcakes for everyone!” Lance beamed, the head band jingling when he did so before Lance gasped, taking in Keith's appearance.  
  
“Aw Keith, that hat looks so cute on you~” He said before flushing and clearing his throat, realizing he had just said that out loud. “P-Pidge! Wha- Why are you wearing a beard? What kind of elf has a beard?” He stuttered, trying to change the subject.

Shiro snorted behind his hand seeing Keith flush up to his ears. Pidge didn’t even bother answering, too busy cackling at Keith who was trying his best not to turn into a puddle of embarrassment right then and there.  
  
“What so funny?” Lance said to Pidge accusingly.

Hunk gave Lance a grin knowing he probably wanted some alone time with Keith, so he stepped into the conversation.

“Hey Shiro, you think we can hand out these cupcakes and cookies to the patients and kids now? I don’t want them to get ruined before they get to them.”

 Shiro and Pidge, knowing full well what Hunk was trying to do, played along. It was amazing how oblivious Lance and Keith were, it almost hurt them to watch.

 “Oh! Yeah of course Hunk, that’ll be great, follow me. This is perfect, I was about to go hand out these candy canes anyway.” He smiled before leading Hunk towards double doors leading to the children’s ward.

With one last grin at Lance and Keith, Pidge sang an "I’ll help" before turning around to catch up to the other two.

 

Lance opened his mouth to ask if Hunk needed him to go with but they were already gone. Lance tilted his head towards Keith, realizing they were alone now and he felt a little nervous.  
  
“H-Hey Keith, how’s your day been?” he said, trying his best to keep his voice level and casual. 

“It’s been...alright.” He said lamely, a part of him wanting to say that his day was significantly better now that Lance was here, but he decided to leave that out.  
  
“So uh...wanna come in and sit down? They’ll probably be awhile.” Keith suggested, rubbing the back of his neck.  
  
Lance blinked, before smiling and nodding, the bells on his headband jingling with every nod. “Yeah that’d be great, these are getting kinda heavy.” he said, hefting the two large bags for emphasis.  
  
Keith gestured for him to follow, walking into his office and holding the doors open for the brunette on their way to get in. Lance quickly made his way to the sofa and placed the bags down in relief, turning to face Keith. “Thanks for the help, and you sure I’m not getting in the way of your work?”  
  
Keith waved him off, picking up his now lukewarm coffee. “Nah, my schedule is more free today. It’s Christmas day after all.”  
  
“Oh, that’s good. You get to take a bit of a break today.” Lance commented while removing his scarf and matching wooly blue gloves, and shrugging off his navy blue jacket - it was rather warm in Keith’s office.

Keith was struggling to think if what to talk to Lance about before noticing that Lance’s ungloved hands were covered in small bandages. He noted that some were star patterned, which was kind of cute.

 

Lance stretched a little, glad to be out of his puffy jacket before realizing Keith had gone rather quiet. Raising a delicate eyebrow he turned to face Keith. “Something wrong?”  
  
Keith blinked, realizing he had been staring intently at Lance’s hands and flicked his eyes back up to meet Lance's.

“Oh, uh nothing. I just noticed that um...are your fingers okay? What happened?”  
  
Lance glanced down at his own hands and mentally winced. He should’ve known Keith would notice it but he totally forgot about them.

“Oh! It’s nothing, I was just a little careless while cooking...and yeah.” he said embarrassedly, shoving his hands into his pockets feeling self conscious.

Keith nodded, glad that it didn’t seem serious but he really wanted to give them a look to make sure for himself. Debating whether he should or not, his worry for Lance won over and he cleared his throat. “I can- I can take a look at them for you? If you’d like…?”

Lance flushed, surprised at the offer, but he didn’t want Keith have to work on the only day he had a break. “I- I dunno it’s really no big deal…” he trailed off but seeing the look of concern on Keith’s face he gave in.  
  
“O-Okay I guess it wouldn’t hurt to get them checked, if you’re okay with that.”

 

The fireman shifted to sit in the seat next to the examination table as Keith made his was closer to him. “I’m just going to take a look at them okay?” Keith said while Lance put out his right hand for him to check.  
  
“Okay.” Lance said with a small smile, appreciating Keith letting him know. And Lance didn’t want to say it but, it felt nice when Keith took his hand into his much warmer ones. Lance fought down a blush, he had no idea having Keith look at his hand would make him feel flustered like this.  
  
Keith took Lance’s hand gently and removed the bandaids that were haphazardly put on. Keith could see the burns, they were pink and some parts were a little blistered - they were minor probably still hurt. Keith moved to grab some burn cream, and gently dipped his fingers in before spreading them over Lance’s burnt fingers. He couldn’t help but notice Lance’s long slender fingers, and soft skin even though there were calluses, most likely due to the rough work at his job.  
  
Keith flushed a little, disappointed in himself. He should be helping Lance, not enjoying feeling up the other guy’s hand. Damn it Kogane get your shit together! He was also aware that he was probably taking much more time than necessary to apply the cream, but he wanted to make sure to be as gentle as possible.  
  
Lance was biting his lip, flushing rather badly at the feeling of Keith rubbing his fingers so gently and fighting not to squirm in his seat. “I-Is it bad?” he asked quietly trying to distract himself from the pleasant feeling.  
  
Keith looked up, also jolted out of his own thoughts. He hadn’t realized how embarrassed Lance looked and he gulped, hoping he wasn’t making him uncomfortable or anything. “N-no, it’s not bad, but it’s probably still painful, so I’m just applying some cream that should help.” he informed, now wrapping up each finger individually before gesturing for Lance’s other hand.

 

Keith worked quietly, both of them too flustered to think of anything to say. But Lance wasn’t very good with silence so he found himself speaking after a few minutes.

“So, no plan for the holidays?” He tried to keep his voice steady as he asked.  
  
Keith continued to bandage the remaining fingers while shaking his head.  
  
“No, I don’t have any plans for the holidays, I’m just going to be working.”  
  
Lance blinked, more relaxed now that Keith wasn’t rubbing cream onto his fingers and his brows furrowed a little. “Not at all? Not even for a few days?” He asked, concern toning his voice.  
  
Finished with treating his fingers, the doctor sat up and gave him a small smile upon hearing the concern in his voice. “Naw, Shiro is the only family I have and he’ll be working too, so yeah.” He replied with a casual shrug.  
  
Lance’s blue eyes widened, surprised at what he had just learned. “O-Oh, I see.” He fell silent again, not really knowing what to say and not wanting to make things awkward; he didn’t know if this was a sensitive topic after all.  
  
“That’s okay, maybe next year we should plan a huge Christmas party together? I’m sure everyone would love it!” he said, changing the tone of the conversation.

 

Keith was surprised at Lance’s sudden outburst but he found himself really liking the idea and nodded, his eyes softening and a smile making its way to his lips. “Yeah, I think that actually sounds pretty fun.”  
  
Lance flushed breaking eye contact at Keith’s soft expression - god he was so weak. Glancing at the bags next to him he suddenly remembered that he had something to give Keith. He wasn’t sure if this was a good time to give it, but he supposed it was now or never. Lance stood up and sifted through the two large bags, taking out an elaborately wrapped present and a clear bag full of home baked cookies tied off with a red ribbon and a tag hanging off of it.  
  
Keith watched Lance with furrowed eyebrows wondering what he was doing.  
  
Lance was nervous as hell and just shoved both items into Keith’s face, unable to meet the other man’s eyes. “H-Here it’s for you!” he said, much louder than necessary.  
  
Keith was stunned, staring at the packages with wide eyes. Looking up, he saw Lance’s expression start to turn worried, and he immediately reached out to take them, still having no idea how to react.  
  
“T-this is all for me?” Keith asked almost in awe.

 

Lance nodded rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “Y-Yeah it’s nothing much, and you might not even like it but um… yeah it’s for you.” He babbled, glancing at Keith with the corner of his eyes before looking away again wringing his hands. His heart was beating so fast in his chest he felt like he was going to explode. 

“M-Merry Christmas!!” He managed to get out, almost forgetting the reason behind the gifts in the first place.

Keith was still speechless, warmth spreading through his chest and a blush forming on his face. He gulped, knowing he had to say something, but words were not forming in his mind.

“T-Thank you, Lance.” He managed to blurt out after a moment of internal struggling. “But I didn’t get anything for you” he realized. He wasn’t expecting any gifts at all, let alone a gift from Lance.

Lance quickly waved his hands frantically. “N-No no that’s okay, like I said it’s nothing much, and um, I just- It was the spur of the moment thing, you don’t need to get me anything!”  
  
Keith still felt bad, but was slowly recovering from his shock.  
  
“Can I open it?”  
  
Lance nodded, wringing his hands together hoping Keith wouldn’t dislike it.  
  
Keith felt his heart stutter in his chest as he carefully teared off the colourful paper, catching sight of something soft and red before pulling it out to get a better look. It was a knitted red scarf, with black stripes and a small K on one end of it. Keith held the scarf in his hands as if it was made of glass.  
  
“Did you make this?” Keith said with realization, knowing it was too personalized for it to be bought.  
  
Lance nodded still not meeting Keith’s eyes. “Uh- yeah, I’m not very good at it but I tried.”  
  
Keith stared at the scarf for another few moments, a genuine smile spreading across his face. “Thank you, I love it” he said softly.  
  
Lance looked at Keith and felt his heart clench. He had no idea Keith would like it at all.  
  
“Y-You’re welcome.” He found himself saying, unable to stop himself from smiling fondly at Keith’s expression.  
  
Keith finally snapped out of his stupor. He felt so overwhelmed with emotion, and words always seemed to fail him, so instead, Keith surged out of his seat, pulling Lance into a hug.

 

Lance gasped at the sudden movement, frozen in shock. Keith was hugging him! Holy crow Keith was hugging him!! Lance felt his heartbeat skyrocket - he had no idea how to react, but he willed his arms to work and hugged Keith back. Lance had never noticed until now, but Keith’s smelt of a mix of clean shampoo and antiseptic, the combination was uniquely Keith; it was oddly comforting.

They both embraced longer than what was considered casual, but neither of them seemed to mind. Keith pulled away first, realizing what he had done, but found that he didn’t regret doing it at all.  
  
Lance stared wide eyed at Keith, knowing that a flush was engulfing his face and he opened his mouth to speak. But before he had a chance, a familiar voice called for him and he turned to face the office door where Shiro and Hunk were standing, having finished passing out goodies to the patients and kids.  
  
“Hey man, sorry for the long wait, there were a lot of patients to get to. We have to get going now though, you need a ride back to your family's place?”

“O-Oh hey Hunk, Shiro! Y-yeah okay, I’ll get ready” Lance stuttered, flushing deeper, hoping they hadn’t seen anything and quickly busied himself with putting on his jacket, scarf and gloves.  
  
Keith sighed, disappointed that Lance was going to leave so soon, but there was still a lingering warmth in his chest as he watched Lance get ready. Lance quickly picked up his bags that were left by the couch. He knew his face was still flushed, but he gave Keith a sheepish grin before bounding to the door happily.  
  
“Okay we can go now. Oh! Um this is for you and Pidge.” Lance said, handing Shiro one of the festive bags. “Merry Christmas!”  
  
“Aw Lance, you shouldn’t have, but thank you. Merry Christmas to you too. Tell Allura for me if you see her?” Lance nodded, following Hunk as they made their way out, his bells jingling as he waved. “Bye guys! See you again soon, don’t work too hard!” Lance called before the double doors closed behind them.  
  
Keith was still watching the double doors, clutching the the red scarf tightly. He still had no idea why Lance had given him such a sweet present, but Keith found himself not wanting to question it.

  
Shiro walked into Keith’s office and sat down across from where Keith had been sitting, taking out the items in the bag. “Lance and Hunk really shouldn’t have, we should do something for them next year.” Shiro said offhandedly, trying not to tease Keith just yet, even though it was hard not to. Keith was still clutching the scarf like it would disappear with an unmistakable smile on his face.  
  
His little brother’s expression became neutral again when he heard Shiro speak but he nodded, walking back over towards the bag of cookies on his chair.  
  
“Yeah, we should.” He said, trying to sound casual while draping the scarf over his neck and sitting back down in his seat, taking a closer look at the bag of cookies. Realizing there was a tag, he read it curiously.

“Merry Christmas Keith! I hope you like cookies ♥ - Lance” followed by a drawing of...was that a drawing of him? Keith fought down another smile that threatened to come up and turned away, trying to hide it from Shiro. God, Lance was too cute for him to handle. Keith wondered if this was more than a crush now, he didn’t think he’d smiled so much before in one day. The moment was ruined however, when he caught Shiro’s infuriating smile aimed at him again. Keith glared at his brother, daring him to say anything.

“He got all of us presents huh, how thoughtful.” Shiro commented, looking at the tag on his present. “Merry Christmas Shiro! Allura said you would like this? I don’t know anything about ties, but I hope you like it!” Shiro smiled a little shaking his head at his friend’s antics. After ripping open the package, he saw that it was a black tie with grey details, and Allura did know what he liked - he would have to thank her later as well. Taking the bag of cookies he glanced over at Keith who had been oddly quiet and realized, much to Shiro’s amusement, how many more cookies were in Keith’s package. He also noticed Keith’s cookies seemed to be more elaborately decorated compared to his own.

“Seems like Lance was _extra_ thoughtful with your gifts, Keith.” Shiro teased.

“WHA- What are you talking about Shiro?!” Keith stammered, his face bright pink and knowing that the teasing was only just beginning.

Shiro chuckled pointing to the bag of cookies in Keith’s lap. “Well it’s true, just look at your cookies and look at mine.” he said with a smile.

Keith glanced between the two bags and felt his chest feel warm again. Shiro was right, and the thought made him much happier than it should have. “I don’t know what you’re trying to say Shiro.” he feigned. 

“Alright alright, whatever you say.” Shiro chuckled again before getting up to leave. “I’m going to leave Pidge’s present here, if she comes by later give it to her. I’ll see you later Keith, I have an appointment soon.”

Keith gave Shiro a wave of acknowledgment, wanting some time alone to process everything that had happened.

 

When his brother left he sighed in relief, able to take the time to admire the soft warm scarf he had draped around his neck. To think that Lance had taken the time to make it by hand made Keith’s heart flutter. 

Now that he was alone and peace was finally restored in his little office, he eyed the bag of Lance’s cookies on his desk. Taking the bag, he carefully pulled the ribbon before reaching in and grabbing the first cookie he could get. It was a little alien wearing a santa hat. Keith chuckled softly to himself wondering if Hunk had made these, but then he remembered the burns that were on Lance’s hands earlier. Realization dawned on him and his eyes turned soft. Lance had burned himself making his cookies? Then he imagined Lance decorating the cookies with an icing bag in his hands and Keith didn’t know how much his heart could take. Not having the heart to eat the little alien, he put it back into the bag before grabbing one with a different design. This next cookie was a blue lion, also wearing a santa hat. Maybe lions are Lance’s favourite animal? Keith didn’t know but it was also too cute to eat. Diving back into the bag he managed to find a star shaped cookie and ate that one instead, it was delicious.

Keith didn’t know what to think anymore, did Lance like him? Or was he overthinking it? Lance was overly kind after all. Either way, Keith felt the need to thank Lance again. Glancing at his cell phone sitting innocently on his desk, he recalled the number Pidge had sneaked on to his phone. After a few moments of thought, he picked up the phone and scrolled through his contacts. His thumb hovered over Lance’s name before he clicked it, opening the texting window:

  
  
**9:31pm [To Lance ♥]:**

Hey Lance, this is Keith, Pidge gave me your number. I just wanted to thank you again for the presents. The cookies were great, Merry Christmas and happy holidays”

 

Looking over the text, it seemed a little too formal? Maybe he should use those...emoji things? Do people even use those? Keith had no idea. Looking over the text again he decided that it might seem friendlier, so he opened the emojis keyboard and decided to add one.

  
“Hey Lance, this is Keith, Pidge gave me your number. I just wanted to thank you again for the presents. The cookies were great, Merry Christmas and happy holidays _[santa claus emoji]_ ”

 

Keith hesitated for a moment, not sure if he should send it or not. biting his lip, he steeled himself and pressed “send”. No going back now, Keith thought to himself, wondering if Lance would even answer.

 

\---

 

Lance was busy shoving pizza into his mouth. He had gushed to Hunk the whole ride over to his family’s house. Keith had hugged him. Keith had frickin’ _hugged him_ and he had been so happy about the presents! Honestly Lance thought Keith wouldn’t really react much, if at all. But he supposed there was a lot about Keith he didn’t know about yet, and Lance was ecstatic. The look on his face made every single burn on his fingers worth it.  
  
“Man Hunk, I’m in so deep, what am I going to do…” He mumbled before taking another bite of pizza. Hunk had been smiling and laughing at Lance’s gushing the entire time they were eating, happy to see that Keith had liked Lance’s gifts, and seeing his friend so happy was always great.

“That’s great man! See, I told you he’d like it, you always think too much about it.” Hunk said while grabbing another slice of pizza.

At that moment, Lance’s phone dinged with the sound of a new text message. Making a questioning noise, Lance put down his pizza to wipe his hands before taking out his phone to check.

“Hmm a new number. I wonder who it’s from.” 

 

Unlocking the screen and opening the text, Lance almost threw his phone across the room. He slammed his hand so hard on the table, Hunk had to hold it down for fear of their food and drinks spilling over. Lance had gasped and squealed louder than Hunk had ever heard. He was flailing, opening and closing his mouth in an attempt to try and tell Hunk what was going on but was too stunned to articulate himself.

“Dude, take a deep breath. Who was the text from?” Hunk asked him, slightly worried that his best friend had finally lost it.  
  
“KEITH!!!!!! IT’S KEITH HOLY SHIT IT’S KEITH!! HE TEXTED ME OMG AM I DREAMING?! I BETTER NOT BE IF I AM DON’T WAKE ME” Lance shouted dramatically, clutching the shirt around his chest so hard he might actually rip it.  
  
“Hunk look! LOOK AT IT, oh my god, he’s so cute! Look at that little santa emoji!!” Lance squealed, making incomprehensible noises and practically shoving his phone in Hunk’s face.

  
**9:31PM [Unknown]:** Hey Lance, this is Keith, Pidge gave me your number. I just wanted to thank you again for the presents. The cookies were great, Merry Christmas and happy holidays _[santa claus emoji]_

 

Hunk read the text after backing up away from the phone in his face before laughing. “Oh man, Pidge, of course. You owe her one big time!”  
  
“SHHHH that’s not the point Hunk! What do I reply with? Oh my god I have Keith’s number now! There’s so much I can do!!!” He all but shouted while lifting his phone up like it was something holy. Also, Hunk didn’t need to know that Pidge and him had made an agreement. 

“Okay okay, so what should I reply with? Hunk you gotta help me out with this, it has to be perfect!!” Lance shouted to Hunk, practically bouncing out of his seat.

“Hmm...Keith, this is Lance. I’m glad you enjoyed the cookies. Hmm no, too stiff, plus he obviously knows it's me. Hi Keith!! I’m glad you liked the cookies!! No, _way_ too hyper it might freak him out. Or maybe I should send him a picture of us having pizza? Or is that a no.” Lance tried typing multiple messages with a combination of different emojis and words, but none of them felt right.

 

\---

 

Keith, on the other side of the line, was at this moment panicking. It had been a full 15 minutes since he sent the text, and there was still no reply. Scenarios started spiralling through his mind. Did he freak him out? It would be weird if he got a text from an unknown number right? But he wrote that Pidge gave him the number so it should be alright. Was it too early in their friendship to text him? Should he have just waited for the next time he visited? Or maybe he was just overthinking and Lance was just busy and hadn’t seen his text yet, it _is_ Christmas day after all.

He took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. He never realized how much he cared about what Lance thought about him - now it was hitting him in full force. He hoped he hadn’t screwed this up, because he really, _really_ liked Lance.

He put his phone down on his desk, deciding that sitting on his chair worrying would do his mind nor his heart any good, and decided to check up on his patients in the hospital instead. He needed a distraction - though he was sure to take his cell phone with him on his way out of his office.

 

\---

 

After nearly half an hour since he got Keith's text, and with much panic and arm flailing, Lance finally managed to write his up his reply.

 

 **10:08PM [To Keith** **♡]:**

Hey Keith! I’m glad you liked the scarf and cookies. I hope the scarf fits!

Don’t work too hard! I’ll come by to visit again soon. Merry Christmas (again lol)

Let’s keep in touch :D

 

Lance sighed, still nervous about how Keith would react to his reply, no matter how much Hunk reassured him that it was fine.

“It’s perfect! Just send it man!” Hunk assured Lance, for probably the hundredth time.

“Okay, Okay I sent it! AUGHHH How am I supposed to eat now, I’m so nervous. What if he doesn’t reply ever again? Like it was just a one time thing to thank me?” He fretted, but resumed eating his pizza anyway while holding his phone in his other hand like a lifeline. The more time passed with no reply, the more anxious he got.

\---

  
Keith just left one of his patient’s room, having just finished doing a check up on her before his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He jolted not expecting to get a text at all. 

Pulling his phone out, he saw the notification bar with Lance's name. With shaky hands, he unlocked his phone and opened the text.

  
  
**10:08PM [From Lance** **♥]:**

Hey Keith! I’m glad you liked the scarf and cookies. I hope the scarf fits!

Don’t work too hard! I’ll come by to visit again soon. Merry Christmas (again lol)

Let’s keep in touch~ :D

 

He let out a sigh of relief, a smile making its way to his face and he couldn’t help but pull on the scarf still draped around his neck towards his face. Lance really was something. The scarf still had Lance’s scent, a mix of shampoo and smoke; it made his heart flutter. Maybe he had more than just a crush on Lance after all. Snapping out of his thoughts, he realized he still had to reply to him.

 

 **10:17PM [To Lance** **♥]** **:**

It fits perfectly, thank you. And feel free to text me anytime you want, although I might not be able to reply right away. :)

 

Keith read over his message a few times before clicking send. The second message was a little easier to send than the first, but he still felt nervous. Keith rarely checked his phone but he supposed that might change from now on.

 

\---

 

Lance almost choked on his drink when his phone vibrated minutes later. Thumping his chest as he gasped, reading Keith’s text before whining lowly in his throat. Hunk raised a brow wondering what Lance was freaking out about now.  
  
“He’s too cute, I’m dead Hunk. Tell my mama I love her.” Lance sprawled on the table reading the text again and smiling lightly at it.  
  
Hunk shook his head at his best friend’s antics, watching as he debated what to text Keith next, though much less spazzy this time. Hunk felt a smile tugging on his lips - he was so happy for him. It’s been dragging for awhile now and it was about time they at least exchanged numbers.  
  
After thinking for a good minute while chewing on his drink's straw, Lance decided to type out his reply.

 

**10:19PM [To Keith ♡]:**

Okay sounds good! Are you still at the hospital? You should really take a little break D:

I’m having a late dinner with Hunk right now, we’ll be heading to my mama’s house soon~ What are you up to?

 

\---

 

Keith was surprised to hear his phone vibrate again on his desk. He was about to try and catch some sleep in his office but he shifted over to grab his phone anyway. He had kept the scarf on since it was pretty cold and the blanket and pillow he often used to sleep in his office weren’t the best.  
  
Keith smiled, not disappointed when he saw that it was Lance who replied. He felt a small laugh escape his lips. Guess Lance knew more about him than he thought.

 

 **10:22PM [To Lance** **♥]** **:**  
Yeah, I’m still at the hospital and I’m probably going to try and get some sleep in my office, but feel free to text me if you want. I’ll reply when I wake up. Have fun at your mother’s house, good night Lance. :) 

  
  
Keith blinked when his phone vibrated just when he was going to place it down again. He replied already? Clicking back into his messages he saw that Lance had indeed replied.

 

 **10:23PM [From Lance** **♥]** **:**  
Thank you Keith, I hope you sleep well! I’ll be sure to text you if anything interesting comes up :P

Haha I’d tuck you in if I was there :) Make sure you have plenty of blankets, it’s cold today! Sweet dreams! ☆彡

  
  
Keith buried into the warm scarf that still smelt like Lance and laughed softly, the smile refusing to leave his face. He felt so warm every time Lance texted him and Keith couldn’t recall the last time where something as small as a simple text could make him feel so much.

 

 **10:25PM [To Lance** **♥]** **:** ****  
Thanks Lance, I’m heading to bed. :)

  
  
Keith was very tempted to add a heart somewhere in that last message, but he knew that that would be too much. Lance was a nice guy, he could just be being extra nice to him, but Keith really hoped that it wasn’t just that. He could now say with confidence, that he was well and completely infatuated with Lance. 

Placing his phone back down on his desk reluctantly, he headed back to his makeshift bed, pulling up the blankets and closing his eyes. He dreamt of ocean blue eyes, the scent of smoke and the brightest smile he’d ever seen.


	5. Lucky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New year's eve is here and the gang are welcoming the new year with good company, food, and a little karaoke! And who knows, maybe someone'll get a little lucky too? (。´艸 `。)～☆　

**.ﾟ☆ 1 week later - New Year’s Eve ☆ﾟ.**

 

Keith sighed, plopping onto Shiro’s couch. It’s New Year’s Eve, and both of them had worked their morning shifts till 3 pm, and were granted the rest of the day off. It was currently 3:40 pm and Keith was prepared to do nothing but relax for the next 48 hours. Don’t get him wrong, he earnestly enjoyed his work at the hospital, but even he couldn’t deny how nice it felt to just sit and relax for awhile. Grabbing the TV remote, Keith started to idly flip through the channels while Shiro was taking out their late lunch from the plastic bags they came in.  
  
Keith was jolted out of his frowning at a McDonald’s commercial by his phone vibrating. Realizing it was most likely Lance he quickly dug it out from his pocket and unlocked his phone to see.  
  
**3:22PM [From Lance** **♥]** **:**

Hey Keith! I’m on my way, I know I’m like super duper early, but I think Shiro said you guys would be out of the hospital by 3? So make sure to open the door for me ~ :3  
  
Keith paused, squinting at the text wondering if he read that wrong. No, he hadn’t - what was Lance talking about? Coming? To Shiro’s place? Why and how did he even know he was here? Or maybe Lance thought he was still at the hospital?  
  
Keith quickly typed a reply, having no idea what Lance was referring to.  
  
**3:23PM [To Lance** **♥]** :  
Hey Lance, what do you mean you’re on your way? I’m not at the hospital anymore. ):  
  
**3:23PM [From Lance** **♥]** **:**

Oh! Uhh I’m on my way to Shiro’s place, we’re having that party tonight right? :D  
  
Keith did a double take at his phone before glaring at his brother who was currently shoving pasta into his mouth. “Shiro...why did Lance just text me saying he’s coming over for a _party_ ?” He said evenly, although he felt like he was going to explode - damn Shiro and his plotting. What did he do behind his back this time?  
  
Shiro swallowed the bite he was eating before replying, “Oh yeah! I forgot to mention it to you, Allura and I planned a New Year’s Eve party. Lance, Hunk, Pidge, and Coran are all coming too!” He said with an innocent smile.  
  
Keith felt his mouth drop open.  
  
“You planned a _party_ and didn’t tell me?!” He shouted, his voice breaking. “Are you crazy? Lance is already on his way and we have like nothing ready, what the hell Shiro?” Keith groaned rubbing his face tiredly. There goes his relaxing 48 hours. Not that Keith was against seeing Lance and the others, but parties were not something Keith found particularly enjoying. It was always too loud and too chaotic for his liking.

  
Shiro had known this was going to happen, but he had hoped Keith would just take it in stride. “Now now Keith, it’s alright, they aren’t supposed to arrive until 6PM tonight, we still have time to set up.” he chuckles trying his best to calm down his little brother. Keith’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance, his mouth opening tell him that that was bullshit because Lance just said he was on his way. Growling in annoyance he realized he was still in the clothes he had worn when he left the hospital and quickly made his way upstairs into the guest bedroom where he kept some spare clothes. “WHY DO YOU ALWAYS DO THIS TO ME SHIRO?!” he shouted in frustration, grumbling when he only heard laughing from downstairs. He hadn’t touched anything in this closet for almost a year, but despite that, he still wanted to at least change into something clean before Lance arrived.

After rummaging through it, he groaned, realizing that other than the clothes he wore to sleep, all he had were more spare work clothes. Keith knew that beggars can’t be choosers, so he begrudgingly, but quickly changed into a maroon coloured dress shirt. Just as he finished the second last button did the doorbell ring and Keith’s head whipped towards the door, already making his way back down.  
  
“Oh! I guess, someone’s here early.” Shiro commented, trying his best to ignore Keith’s death glare behind his back as he opened the door. As soon as Shiro opened the door he was met by a loud “Hey guys!” which Shiro could only laugh at before stepping aside to let Lance in. “Hey Lance, it’s good to see you!”  
  
Lance peered in, catching a glimpse of Keith and flashing him a quick smile before walking in. “Hey Keith! - Woah, nice place you got Shiro.” Lance commented looking around the spacious apartment.  
  
“Sorry guys, I know I’m super early, but Hunk said he couldn’t drop me later since he’s going to be a little late. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” He said rubbing the back of his neck a sheepishly.  
  
He was wearing a blue baseball t-shirt with dark jeans, a navy blue snapback, and a navy coloured winter jacket, much to his disappointment. Hunk was supposed to drive him home before they headed over to Shiro’s for the party, but his bro had ditched him after a call with - what Lance now knew for sure - was Hunk’s girlfriend, Shay. Lance had been forced to shower at the station, before trying his best to make himself as presentable as possible with the clothes he had on him. It took a lot of coaxing and convincing from Hunk, but thinking about the taxi fare from his apartment to Shiro’s - which was _not_ close - and the idea of being able to hang out with Keith before the actual party - had won him over.

Shiro quickly waved him off, “No no, don’t worry about it Lance. Keith and I were just about to start getting ready for the party.” With a small smile he glanced at Keith who was still glaring at him but he kept speaking like he wasn’t. “Hey Keith, don’t you have that WiiU console at your place? Why don’t you and Lance go grab it so we can all play with it tonight? And could you two go and buy a few things before coming back? I’ll be setting up and cleaning the apartment before everyone else arrives.” Keith gaped at his brother, opening his mouth to protest before Lance beat him to it.  
  
“Oh! Okay sounds great, I’ll help out.” Lance grinned towards Keith who nodded dumbly, not expecting Lance to be enthusiastic about running errands but wasn’t going to disagree. Keith heaved a sigh, snatching the shopping list from Shiro’s hand and giving him another unamused glare but not before grabbing his keys, wallet and shrugging on his black trench coat.  
  
Lance followed after Keith excitedly, the idea of spending some alone time with him out of the hospital was too good to be true. Blinking, he realized they were heading down the elevator towards the parking lot.

“Hey Keith, are you gonna drive us?” Lance asked curiously, thinking they would just walk, but the idea of sitting in Keith’s car made his heart flutter.

Keith glanced back at Lance as they exited the elevator doors and into the parking lot, giving him a small smile. “Yeah, I am. My place isn’t very far, but it’s definitely not walking distance from Shiro’s.” He kept walking until they stopped at a vibrant red Mustang. Keith walked over to the passenger’s seat and opened the door for Lance whose jaw was so wide it almost hit the floor. 

“Holy crow Keith, you drive a Mustang?!” He gasped, shifting closer, hands clutched up against his chest almost afraid to touch it. It probably cost a fortune and Lance didn’t want to scratch it or anything.

Keith chuckled lightly at Lance’s reaction, raising an eyebrow, amused. “I know she’s pretty Lance, but we should get going. Come on.”  
  
Lance scoffed rolling his eyes a little but got into the car, albeit more careful than he usually would. Looking around the interior he was surprised to see it spotless. With how little Keith ever left the hospital Lance was surprised to say the least. Man, he should really invest in a blue beauty one day, that’ll show Keith to rub his car in his face.  
  
“You really do love _everything_ red don’t you.” Lance teased, tugging on Keith’s maroon shirt for emphasis.  
  
Keith scoffed, a smirk playing on his lips as he started the car, the engine roaring to life and the dashboard lighting up. “Yeah, I do, you got a problem with that?”  
  
Lance felt a blush making its way up his neck. He scoffed looking away and out the window, goddamn Keith, who allowed him to be so hot? Lance wasn’t going to make it for the party at this rate. “No not really, I like the colour blue just as much.” He said, trying to sound casual.  
  
Keith laughed a little, shaking his head before pulling out of the parking lot and making their way towards his apartment. The radio played softly in the background, but otherwise the car became silent. Lance enjoyed the silence for oh, maybe a minute before he felt like it was too quiet and awkward. Glancing over at Keith, Lance bit his lip wondering what he could even talk about. Taking a breath, he decided it wouldn’t hurt to try.  
  
“So uh, how was work today?”

Keith glanced at Lance briefly but kept his eye on the road. “It was alright, the usual.”  
Lance mentally cursed, never really realizing how little Keith spoke until now, but he supposed he was the one who often filled the silences with his own conversation. This was going to be harder than he thought. How had he not noticed before? Was it because he never spent more than 15 minutes with Keith at a time before this? Probably.  
  
“So uh, the weather is nice huh?”

“Lance, it’s literally going to snow tonight, and it’s freezing.”

“O-Oh right.” Lance mumbled.

 

Keith wasn’t holding up the conversation at all, so much for trying to make conversation. As if sensing Lance’s efforts Keith cleared his throat awkwardly before speaking.  
“So uh, ever played Super Smash Brothers on the WiiU before?”

Lanced immediately perked up. “ _Played?_ You are looking at the Super Smash Bros Champion. I have like 4 siblings and you can bet I’d win every time.” He said proudly, thumping his chest with a fist.

Keith raised an amused brow. “Oh yeah? Is that a challenge I hear?”  
  
Lance laughed before pointing a finger at Keith “Oh you bet, bring it on Kogane, I’ll beat you so bad you won’t even know what hit ya! Trust me, I even give Pidge a run for her money.”

Keith laughed but matched Lance’s confident smirk with his own. “Alright, it’s on. Whoever wins owes the other a drink.”

 

Lance gave Keith a grin before he realized they were turning into another apartment complex. Lance peered out of the window curiously, looking at the tall, modern looking building. “Ohhh looks fancy.” He mumbled more to himself than anything. Keith pulled into his designated parking spot before killing the engine and getting out. “Alright we’re here, we’re just gonna grab the game and be on our way to the grocery store.”  
  
Lance nodded, making his way out of the car and closing the door as gently as he could. “Yeah sounds good.”  
  
Keith tried not to laugh at how Lance treated his car, but it was kind of cute. “Come on, let’s head up.” Lance followed behind Keith while taking in his new surroundings. “What level do you live on?” He asked curiously, following Keith into the elevator.  

“23, pretty close to the top.” Keith replied before tapping his key-card to the panel and clicking his floor. Lance hummed at that and followed Keith into his apartment once the door was opened.

 It was surprisingly plain, but modern, a little unlived in but otherwise a nice, spacious apartment. Lance noticed much to his amusement, that even the decor in his apartment were white, red and black. Keith was so predictable. “Need help?” Lance asked making his way to the TV where Keith was trying to disconnect the console.

"Yeah sure. Can you keep unplugging things? I’ll grab us a bag to put it in.”

“Sounds good my man~” Lance sang while unplugging the familiar cords and lining up all the controllers Keith had.  
  
After packing the console snugly into a duffel bag, Lance hefted it up on his shoulder before turning to Keith with a satisfied nod. “Alright, time to go shopping right?”  
  
Keith nodded making his way back to the door. “Yeah, we have about an hour and a half to buy all the snacks and food Shiro put on the list.”  
  
“That’s more than enough time, let’s go!” Lance slung an arm over Keith’s shoulder, eager to go buy food and drinks. He didn’t notice Keith’s faint blush caused by him being so close. Lance was warm.

 

\---

 

  
“Alright, so now that we’re here, what does it even say on the list?” Lance asked, pushing a large cart down the grocery store isles with Keith hanging by his side looking at the shelves.

Keith was frowning deeply at the so called list Shiro wrote and he wondered if it was a joke. “It says, raisin oat cookies, tea, crackers, fruit juice….and pop, thank god there’s something normal in here.” Keith grumbled.  
  
Lance couldn’t stop the cackle that escaped his lips, holding onto his stomach and leaning on the cart nearly in tears. “Oh my god, dude Shiro’s actually an old man. Your brother is so lame it’s amazing.” Keith couldn’t help the smile that spread on his face. It was pretty hilarious.  
  
“Yeah, I guess you can say that. Well we can get what he wants since he expects it, but no way are we only going to get those.” Keith replied with a smirk.

“Perfect! I’m gonna grab all my favourites! Just throw it in the cart Kogane, we’re gonna be lugging a lot back.” He grinned before pushing the cart towards the pop and chip aisle. Lance stared at the chips and pop with a perplexed expression. “Hmmmm so many to pick from, which ones do you want Keith?”

“Uhh… Coke and classic lays?”  
  
Lance gasped peering into Keith’s face with an incredulous expression.  
  
“Just coke and plain chips Keith? That’s like- the most boring answer I’ve ever heard.” Lance placed a dramatic hand on his chest.  
  
Keith frowned glaring at Lance. “Hey, nothing’s wrong with those. All the other ones are trying too hard to be different, classic is good.”  
  
Lance shook his head, wagging a finger at Keith. “No no no, the other ones are more FUN and less boring! Oh my god, have you even tried the other flavors? Or Doritos?” Lance questioned to which Keith only shrugged. Lance put a hand to his forehead. “Man Keith, Shiro might be an old man but you aren’t far behind” he teased. Keith moved a hand to smack the other’s arm. “Shut up. You just have bad taste.”  
  
Lance gasped again, mock offended. “I can’t believe you Kogane, I have GREAT taste, you just can't appreciate it.” He huffed before grabbing a Pepsi, and some Doritos before grabbing Keith’s Coke and classic lays and dumping them into the cart. “Okay well, this isn’t enough so let’s pick some more for-”  

“PEPSI?!”

Lance blinked before raising a delicate brow at Keith. “Yeah, Pepsi, what's wrong with it?”

“Uh...everything??” Keith replied, like it was obvious.  
  
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lance pouted indignantly while crossing his arms. “Pepsi is better, and you know it~”

“How is Pepsi better than Coke, Coke is classic, Pepsi is like a knockoff!”  
  
“What?! Knockoff? You take that back Kogane, Coke might be “original” but Pepsi tastes better so it doesn’t matter which came first.”

“I’m just saying the truth, Lance” Keith shrugged. Lance snorted, despite their little argument being super dumb, it was kind of fun to banter with Keith like this. This was a new dynamic that Lance didn’t quite mind.

“Well, doesn’t matter, we’re getting both. So what else should we get? We should grab like, at least two more pops and some more chips…” Lance trailed off grabbing a BBQ, and sour cream and onion chips for Pidge and Hunk.

 

After grabbing everything they thought they should get and checking off Shiro’s sad shopping list, they loaded all the food into Keith’s mustang, ready to head back to Shiro’s just in time for the party.

The ride back was peaceful. Keith drove in silence, admiring Lance’s voice as he quietly hummed along to songs that played softly from the radio. He secretly wondered if Lance would be a good singer. Before they knew it, they had arrived back to Shiro’s.

“We’re back!” Lance shouted enthusiastically as he walked into the apartment, hands full of snacks and pop while Keith was holding the console and a smaller bag of groceries.  
  
Shiro’s head popped out from the kitchen and smiled. “Oh hey you two, you came back just in time, did you get everything we needed?”  
  
Lance dumped all of the bags onto the kitchen counter before glancing at Shiro. “Yeah! Hey man, do you need any help?” Shiro turned to face him and nodded. “Yeah, actually can you help set up the table and put out the food?”  
  
“Sir yes sir!” Lance said enthusiastically, saluting before bounding to the cupboards and fishing for plates and tins to put out the snacks and food Shiro had laid out on the side counter.  
  
While Lance was occupied Shiro turned to Keith giving him a sly smile. “Have fun?”

Keith blinked, tearing his gaze away from Lance humming to himself and gave Shiro a punch to his arm. “Shut up, you did that on purpose.” He said with a huff, turning away to set up the WiiU before Shiro could tease him anymore. God, this party was going to be the end of him.

 

Once everything was set up it was already 5:40PM. The others would arrive soon but they had some time to settle down before they did. Lance plopped on the couch behind Keith with a bowl of chips in hand and a solo cup with Pepsi, and watched as Keith finished setting up the WiiU. Was Keith’s top two buttons open the whole time? He didn’t notice until now. Now that he was thinking of it, Lance had never really seen Keith out of his doctor’s white coat and _man_ was it a nice change. Lance quickly snapped out of it when Keith turned to face him - had he asked him a question? Shit.  
  
“W-wait what? Sorry I was thinking about something.” He said lamely, hoping Keith didn’t notice him ogling.  
  
“I asked if you wanted to play a few matches now or wait until the others came.” Keith repeated putting a hand on his hip.

“We can play now!” Lance said, sipping his drink and eating a few chips before placing it down on the coffee table in front of him. Moving to the controllers, he grabbed one and tossed another to Keith before shifting to make room for him.

They had managed to play a whole 2 matches of Smash Bros. before the others arrived - Lance and Keith barely looked back, too engrossed in their intense match, both determined to win. Shiro answered the door and greeted Allura and Coran who stepped in, offering Shiro a few bottles of champagnes and wines for the occasion which he gratefully accepted.  
  
“Oh my, has the party already began?” Allura asked Shiro spotting the two boys in front of the couch, both shouting at each other while they played.  
  
Shiro chuckled before shrugging. “I guess so, they’ve been playing for 20 minutes already. Feel free to come in and have some drinks and snacks before we have dinner.”  
  
“Thank you Shiro, this is going to be lot’s of fun, right Coran?” Allura turned to face the older man only to find him gone. She blinked and Shiro pointed at the couch, where Allura followed with her eyes - the game they were playing apparently caught Coran’s attention.  
  
“What are you two lads playing? And why are you so rowdy hm?” The Assistant Fire Chief asked while twirling his moustache.  
  
“Not now Coran! I’m just about to kick Keith’s butt!”  
  
“Say what you want, I’m ahead of you by 1 life right now.”  
  
“Not for long!” Lance shouted just as Keith’s character KO’d, leaving them tied.  
  
Keith smirked before holding the controller tighter, “You’re on!” Both of them were too engrossed in their game to realize Coran had taken an interest to the console rather than what’s happening in the game. He accidentally brushed the power button and both Lance and Keith gasped before the TV went black.  
  
“CORAAAAAAAN Aughhhhhh I can’t believe you.” Lance groaned, sliding off the couch dramatically. “I was gonna win!” he flailed his arms trying to express to Coran how upset he was. Keith snorted, laughing at Lance’s reaction. Even though he was also annoyed that their game was cut short, it was pretty funny.  
  
“Oh I’m sorry lads, I didn’t press a thing though! How fascinating.” He said while examining the WiiU some more. Lance pouted, crossing his arms childishly, and Keith couldn't help but notice how cute he looked. His snapback askew from his outcry, and the casual outfit he wore seemed to bring out the colour of his eyes. Standing up to get his mind off of his thoughts of cute Lance, he made his way to greet Allura, as well as grab some snacks.

 

Lance leaned his head on the back of the sofa, looking at Keith upside down and watching him leave. “Hey where you going?”  
  
“Going to get something to eat, you wanna come?”  
  
Lance bounced off the couch and grabbed his now empty plate and cup and nodded. “Hell yeah! Oh hey Allura!” Lance said, realizing that Allura had arrived too while shoving another chip into his mouth.  
  
“Hello Lance, you sure are energetic this evening. How much pop have you had?” Allura said accusingly.  
  
Lance pouted pouring more Pepsi into his cup. “Nowhere near enough, the party’s just beginning!” Keith watched Lance with amusement while he ate a few chips of his own.  
  
Shiro blinked seeing Coran make his way over as well. “Oh, what happened to your gaming session?” he asked Lance and Keith, to which they both just groaned.  
  
“Don’t remind me.” They said at the same time, sharing a confused look as the doorbell rang again. Lance straightened, going to open the door this time and beamed seeing Pidge and her brother Matt at the door. “Hey Pidgey! Matt, nice of you guys to come join the party!”

It had been a long time since Lance last saw Matt, since he was currently a neurosurgeon working at a hospital on the other side of the country and rarely ever came back to visit. Lance was surprised at first when Pidge mentioned to him how Matt knew Shiro, Allura and Keith, but soon learned that he and Shiro were roommates when they were both studying for their MDs.

Pidge smiled, handing Lance a bag of candies before making her way in, “Hey Lance, oh man that smells so good! What snacks did you guys get?” Matt laughed giving Lance another greeting before following his sister into the kitchen. Lance smiled, closing the door before making his way to the kitchen where everyone was greeting their new guests. Lance put the candies into a large bowl, just enjoying the sound of chatter and laughter around him. Moving to Keith, he tapped the man’s shoulder making him turn away from his drink to face him.

“By the way, Shiro has stereos right? We should play some jams!” Keith nodded before telling Shiro to play some music in the background.

After a bit more chatting with everyone together, Hunk arrived with Shay and Lance almost cried asking Hunk why it took him this long to introduce him to her. After Hunk had managed to calm Lance down and everyone introduced themselves to Shay, they all sat down for a nice long dinner. Once dinner was finished and desserts from Hunk and Shay were handed out, Allura and Shiro decided it was a good time to break out the alcohol, the countdown was only minutes away. Pidge quickly turned on the TV and flipped to a channel with live countdown, before flopping on the couch next to Matt.

“Man, I can’t believe it’s almost new years guys.” Hunk said as he and Shay both accepted a cup of champagne from Shiro.

“It did come up rather quickly didn’t it.” Allura commented, while everyone gathered around the sofa and watching the T.V.

 

Lance shifted next to Keith who was leaning on the back of the sofa, not really being able to speak much to him since the dinner was such a crazy affair, but now that he had a few minutes he decided that it would be nice to chat a bit. “Hey Keith, enjoy dinner?” Lance asked curiously.

Keith blinked not expecting Lance to shift next to him but nodded. “Yeah, it was nice. This has been a pretty nice party so far.”

Lance grinned, glad that Keith was enjoying himself. Taking a sip of his champagne he cleared his throat a little. “Well, um, I know we only met not too long ago but, I just wanted to let you know that I’m glad that I met you, mullet. Expect me to bother all of next year too.” He said with a cheeky grin.

Keith’s eyes widened at Lance’s words. That might’ve been one of the sweetest things anyone has said to him and he looked away fighting off a blush, taking a sip of his own champagne to hide it. “Yeah, alright, it’s nothing I can’t take.” Keith mumbled giving Lance a genuine smile before pausing and squinting at the brunette.

“...did you just call me “mullet?” He said accusingly.

Lance laughed before wiggling his eyebrows. “You know it, and it’s because that’s what you have, a mullet~” he teased before dodging a swipe Keith aimed at him.

Lance laughed heartily, his face slightly flushed from the champagne, and Keith couldn't help but stare and smile softly at the sight of Lance looking so comfortable surrounded by him and their amazing group of friends.

 

“SHHHH Guys it’s starting!” Pidge shouted from her seat between Shiro and Matt, the T.V starting to countdown from 30 seconds. Everyone shouted the countdown starting from 10, and as soon as it reached 0 everyone cheered and glasses clinked together in celebration before downing the champagne in their cups.

“Happy new year everyone!” Coran shouted over the commotion to which Allura only laughed, moving to pour herself some more champagne.

Shiro stood up grinning happily. “Alright guys, who’s ready for a karaoke competition?”

 

\---

 

With the party in full swing, more alcohol and snacks had been distributed. Everyone was still gathered around the couch, and those who wanted to participate in the competition were deciding whether or not to duet. Matt had dragged Shiro into singing, while Hunk and Shay decided to duet together. Lance wasn’t going to back down from singing, and Allura and Coran were out to beat him to it. Keith had, predictably, refused to sing; he wasn’t comfortable about singing in general let alone in front of people who he could embarrass himself in front of. No thanks.  
  
Once everything was settled and the order of who to go first was decided through rock paper scissors, Hunk and Shay stepped up rather shyly.  
  
“Are you sure we are to go first? This is quite nerve wracking.” Shay commented only to be comforted by Hunk. “Aww it’s going to be fine, it's just for fun. Come on, what song do you want to sing?”  
  
Shay ended up picking “Just the way you are”. They were a little quiet and shy at first, but eventually, after much encouragement and cheering from the others, hit their groove. Shay was smiling by the chorus and Hunk was ecstatic that Shay was opening up around his friends.  
  
“Amazing you two, that was a wonderful duet.” Allura praised sweetly.

“You are much too kind, thank you.” Shay responded before they sat down again.

“Yeah bro! That was super cuuuute~” Lance cooed, enjoying Hunk’s embarrassed and sheepish expression. “Aww, thanks guys.”  

 

Matt quickly grabbed Shiro’s arm to go up next.

“I don’t know about this Matt, you and I know both of us aren’t the best at---”

“Oh come on Shiro, don’t be a wet blanket, let’s just sing something fun!”

“Yeah Shiro, don’t act shy, you know you can sing.” Pidge teased sipping her juice from the couch and eating the sour cream and onion chips.

“I don’t know…” Shiro mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. Before he could say anything more the beginning of “Kung fu fighting” had already started playing. Shiro turned in Matt’s direction with wide eyes only to see Matt’s innocent smile.

“Come on Shiro, you gotta keep up!” Matt shouted over the beginning of the song.

 

Then he started singing.

 

“Everybody was kung-fu fighting~!!” Matt sang, emphasizing the lyrics with karate chops at Shiro. Everyone started to cheer as Matt sang the second line. Pidge took her phone out, ready to record the entire thing for future blackmail material.

“Those kids were fast as lightning~ Hurry up Shiro I’m not singing this alone!”

Matt continued singing and karate chopping Shiro until he finally relented, joining in halfway through the second verse.

“It’s an ancient Chinese art, and everybody knew their part~”

“From a feinting, to a slip, and a kickin’ from the hip~” the two began to sing together, and acting out the lyrics with Shiro throwing a play punch to Matt, and Matt feinting and swinging a playful kick to Shiro.

 

Keith couldn’t believe his eyes, or his ears. Was he dreaming? Shiro, his ever calm and level headed big brother, was singing Kung fu fighting while play fighting with Matt?! Keith needed to get Shiro to drink more often.

“Can you believe this?” Keith asked Lance who was standing next to him.” Lance just grinned, clearly tipsy as well as he replied “He’s doing a pretty good job out there.”

Keith chuckled a little before leaning towards Pidge. “ _Be sure_ to send me that later.” Pidge gave an evil grin wiggling her brows. “Sure thing, we won’t let either of them live this down until next year.”

 

Once Matt and Shiro finished their song they made their way back to the sofa. Despite Shiro’s hesitation to sing, it ended up being pretty fun regardless. He did feel a little concerned though seeing Keith’s and Pidge’s matching evil grins. Grabbing a cup of beer he downed it, trying his best not to think about it.  
  
A very drunk Allura pulled Coran up to the stage next. He was trying to tell her to be careful and that she had drank way too much but she just waved him off telling him she was perfectly fine.  
  
After squinting at the screen and scrolling through multiple songs she settled on “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Tugging Coran, she grabbed the microphone and belted the first few notes. Coran shook his head, but couldn’t stop the smile on his face. It was nice to see Allura relax and just enjoy herself once in awhile. He grabbed the other microphone and bellowed with just as much passion to the words as Allura was. Despite Allura’s drunkenness being slightly off-key and too loud, she was actually doing pretty well.  
  
“Wow, I haven’t seen Allura act like this since like… ever.” Lance commented, the drill sergeant Allura always prominent in his head back at the station.  
  
Shiro chuckled from his left, shaking his head. “She’d like for you to think that but back in college she liked parties quite a bit.”  
  
Lance had no idea how to process this new information. He and Hunk shared a look of amusement, before Lance whipped out his phone a little clumsily, and clicked record. It would be nice to have some blackmail material on Allura. Once the duo finished the rest of their song, everyone clapped and cheered, Allura almost falling on her face when she bowed way too far only to be caught by Coran.

 

“Come on Lance, get to it! It's your turn!” Pidge shouted, snapping Lance to attention. He knew he was a little tipsy already - he wasn’t very good at retaining alcohol but enjoyed it anyway. Grinning widely he stood up. “Awww yeah, time for me to blow all of your minds~”

Grabbing the mic from the table, he clicked through some songs, having a hard time deciding what to sing. The others were all still chatting around him so he took his time, but around the 5 minute mark Pidge lost her patience.  
  
“Lance, just pick one already!”  
  
Huffing, Lance glared at Pidge but, turning back to the screen, found the perfect song.

 

“Perfect!” Clearing his throat a little he suddenly felt a little nervous, realizing that Keith was going to hear him sing for the first time. Giving Keith a quick glance, although the other man didn’t notice, he took a deep breathe to calm himself. The alcohol was helping and he felt more confident again.  
  
The music started and Lance clenched the mic before he began to sing.

 

“I’m hurting baby, I’m broken down, I need your loving, loving, I need it now~”  
  
Lance quickly got into the song, and once he got into the groove he lost all of his nervousness, body moving to the beat and his voice picking up volume.

 

“When I'm without you, I'm something weak. You got me begging, begging I'm on my knees~” 

Keith was stunned. Even more so than with Shiro’s performance earlier with Matt. Lance’s voice sounded beautiful, and he had no idea that Lance was even capable of singing so well - he could probably sing professionally if he wanted to.

His voice was soft and smooth, and he sang with conviction and passion, despite it just being karaoke. He seemed to be in his element, body flowing with the beat of the music, dancing and twirling as he sang. Keith found himself entranced and he couldn’t look away.

After a few moments, Keith noticed he had been staring and was about to look away when Lance’s blue eyes caught his own and he gulped.  
  
Lance began singing the chorus, while making his way to Keith, keeping his eyes on him the entire way.

 

“I just wanna be deep in your love, and it's killing me when you're away, ooh, baby,” he winked at Keith before spinning in a small circle and continuing on,

“'Cause I really don't care where you are, I just wanna be there where you are, a nd I gotta get one little taste~”  
  
He sang, practically draping himself on Keith before bouncing back up towards the TV and finishing up the song. Everyone was cheering and whistling at him and Lance soaked up the positive attention with a wide grin.

“Your sugar! Yes, please, won't you come and put it down on me~?”  
  
Lance finished the song with a bow and laughed giddily when Hunk went up to give him a noogie, asking him when he got so good, to which Lance could only roll his eyes at his friend’s antics. He still felt buzzed, and now that he was a little high off of the rush that came with singing in front of an audience, he barely even registered he had shamelessly flirted with Keith.  
  
Pidge and Shiro shared an amused glance, unable to stop the grins on their faces. Shiro could see Keith was frozen in his seat, face flushed red and eyes wide with shock.  
  
Holy shit, did that just happen? Had he drunk too much? Did Lance just _flirt_ with him? Keith felt like his heart was going to explode. Taking a few gulps of air he tried to calm his rapidly beating heart. Was Lance just drunk and he just so happened to be his victim or did he actually like him back? Keith slumped into the couch, wanting to disappear from embarrassment after realizing almost everyone was looking at him, having seen the whole exchange.

 

Pidge elbowed Keith with a shit eating grin before shouting, “Encooooore! Lance come on!” Keith gaped at her wondering what the hell she was trying to do. One time was more than enough for his heart god damn it!  
  
Lance blinked, glancing over at Pidge with a raised brow. “Whaaat? I didn’t know you liked my singing so much Pidgeon~” he teased, Pidge rolled her eyes at him.  
  
“Yeah yeah, say what you want to say Lance, just go again!”  
  
Lance grabbed the mic once everyone else also encouraged him to go again, and was about to pick another song when he realized everyone had sang except for Keith and he turned to him.  
  
“Hey Keith, aren’t you going to sing too?” He asked, tilting his head curiously.

"Wha-? Uh...no, I’m good…" Keith replied after shaking himself awake from his daze. He fought down another blush when his own eyes met Lance’s, and what happened a few minutes ago came back to him full force.

"Aww come on Keith! Don’t tell me you’re too shy?" Lance teased, good naturedly.  
  
Keith opened his mouth to retort before closing it again, his mind still reeling from the previous few moments and coming up with nothing.

"Hmmm I mean you don’t have to if you don't want to.. Will you consider it if I sing with you?" Lance suggested with a bright smile.

"Wha- I - I dunno about this Lance I don’t-”  
  
“Come on Keith, sing at least one song before the end of the night.” Shiro suggested, nudging his brother with an obnoxious laugh, his face red from alcohol, and Keith gave him a frown.

"Ooh duet! Duet! Duet!" Pidge started chanting.

 

Allura, Coran, Matt, Hunk and Shay all joined in on the chanting, deciding it would be fun to watch the two sing together. “DUET, DUET, DUET!”  
  
Keith looked around his friends in confusion, why did everyone want him to duet with Lance so badly?! But looking up at Lance’s eager expression, Keith sighed in defeat.

"Argh! Fine, alright, I’ll sing, but only _one_ song. That’s it.”

 

Everyone whooped, cheering Keith on as he  hesitantly got up and took the other mic from Lance. Although he was nervous and wanted no part in performing at all, Lance’s smile was encouraging. Smiling back a little, he stood next to Lance awkwardly as Lance clicked through the list of songs.  
  
“What do you want to sing Keith?” Lance asked curiously.  
  
“Uhh...nothing...too high energy? Maybe something a little slower, other than that I don’t really care.”  
  
Lance hummed in thought, before settling on a song that would be perfect for duet. “Are you okay with this one?”  
  
Keith glanced at the name and it was a song he knew so he nodded. “Y-Yeah sure…”  
  
“Okay! I’ll take the first verse and you can follow, okay?” Lance beamed before clicking the song “Lucky”.

 

“Ready?”  
  
Keith gripped the microphone nervously, but nodded while Lance started to sing the first few lines.  
  
“Do you hear me, I’m talking to you,

Across the water, across the deep blue ocean

Under the open sky, oh my, baby I’m trying~”

Lance sang softly, turning to face Keith and giving him a small, encouraging smile.  
  
Keith gulped but met Lance’s own eyes and started to sing the next verse softly,

“Boy, I hear you, in my dreams,

I feel you whisper across the sea,

I keep you with me in my heart,

You make it easier when life gets hard.”    
  
Lance nearly missed his cue for the chorus, completely captivated by Keith’s voice. He had no idea what he had been expecting, but Keith’s voice was the perfect combination of smooth and raspy. Lance felt his heart flutter when his own voice joined Keith’s in the chorus, unable to look away.  
  
Hunk and Shay shared an excited glance, realizing what was going on. Hunk looked around the room to find that almost everyone had gone quiet, too busy watching the two lovebirds singing together. Despite neither of them having the guts to say anything to each other yet, they were so obvious that it hurt.

  
"...Lucky to have been where I have been,

Lucky to be coming home again..."  
  
Keith could only smile as he sang the lines, glancing over to Lance with the corner of his eye, only to see him also smiling and shyly glancing back.

 

Shiro, Matt and Pidge all also shared a glance with each other, not believing how oblivious their two friends could be. Pidge was quick to snap a photo and take a video but they all kept their teasing for later, realizing that Lance and Keith were clearly having some sort of bonding moment. Honestly, could they not just speak to one another?!  
  
Although Allura was rather drunk, even she could still tell that there was something going on between the two boys. Now, she was aware Lance had been visiting the hospital more often as of late, but it had never occurred to her that Keith was the reason. It seemed obvious now, and she couldn't help the small smile that graced her lips, which Coran also shared with her.

 

“...I'm lucky we're in love in every way, lucky to have stayed where we have stayed, lucky to be coming home someday.”  
  
The two faced each other as the song ended, having been put into a two person bubble over its duration, but as soon as the song ended they both realized how quiet it had gotten.  
  
Keith flushed red first, realizing that everyone had just seen what happened and he quickly put the mic down on the table. Lance was a little slower to register, still a little buzzed, but it came not two seconds later when his cheeks tinged pink. Clearing his throat seemed to have snapped everyone else out of their thoughts and everyone cheered and whistled at the performance.  
  
The two boys relaxed a little, glad that the attention was diverted again and Keith quickly made his way to the bathroom while Lance excused himself to grab more alcohol.

 

In the washroom, Keith took several deep breaths to try and steady his rapidly beating heart. After he finished that and splashed his face with water, he felt he was calm enough to return to the party and maybe face Lance again without turning into a blushing mess. A part of him still couldn’t believe anything that had happened in the past twenty or so minutes.

  
Once Keith exited the bathroom, he made his way back towards the couch where Pidge was still sitting on, munching away on her food and chatting away with Hunk and Matt.

“Is Lance still in the kitchen?” Keith asked as he approached Hunk, Matt and Pidge. 

“Yeah, he is, wh--” Matt tried to answer, but was cut off with a loud gasp from Hunk “WAIT IS HE DRINKING IN THERE?!”  


“Yeah, I think so?” Matt replied, confused and a little surprised at Hunk’s reaction.

Hunk gasped again, before shouting “OH MY GOD HE’S A LIGHTWEIGHT” and practically barrelled past Matt and into the kitchen, leaving Keith and Matt in stunned confusion.  
  
Once inside the kitchen, Hunk quickly spotted Lance still sipping beer by the counter. “Lance! Oh my god, what do you think you’re doing bro? You know you’re a lightweight!” Hunk exclaimed nervously, quickly pulling the beer that was in Lance’s hand away.  
  
Lance whined turning to face Hunk and clumsily trying to make a grab for the beer. “Whachu talkin’ about Huuunk? Is’a partyy, lemme drink’t.” he slurred while leaning on Hunk on his tippy toes to try and reclaim the bottle he was just downing.  
  
Keith and Matt made a beeline for the kitchen, wondering what the fuss was about only to find a very drunk Lance trying to get beer back from Hunk.  
  
Hunk leaned back as far as he could, but damn did Lance have a good reach. “Uh guys? A little help would be nice.”

 

Lance looked up to see who Hunk was talking to and gasped loudly, scaring Hunk and nearly causing him to topple over.  
  
“Keiiiiith~~!” Lance sang, before making his way over to said boy on unsteady legs and promptly face planted into the doctor’s chest, arms wrapping around his shoulders.

 

Keith felt his heart leap into his throat; Lance was so close and was he hugging him?! He felt his face flush red up to his ears and he didn’t know what to do. He stared at Lance’s drunk form feeling confused and flustered, his hands held up uselessly not knowing what to do with them.  
  
Just as Keith thought he was going to die, Shiro and the others re-entered the kitchen, realizing that they were missing from the living room. Pidge quickly whipped out her cell phone, ready to record more blackmail material. Hunk made his way over to Keith and looked at Lance worriedly. “Hey Keith, you think you can help him over to the sofa? He needs to take it easy. Man just how much did he drink?” Hunk sighed, shaking his head.  
  
Keith nodded dumbly, trying his best to collect Lance into his arms, and with Hunk’s help they managed to half carry, half drag him over towards the couch. While they tried to lower him onto the couch, it seemed like Lance had other ideas and refused to let go of Keith, dragging him down onto the sofa with him.  
  
Keith made a strangled noise in the back of his throat, trapped between the sofa and a drunk Lance. God, Lance was so close he could feel the heat radiating from him. “H-Hunk a little help?” Keith said with a strained voice, trying to shift out from under Lance who was completely draped over him, grip firm on his shirt.  
  
Hunk fought down the urge to smile, knowing Lance would probably die once he wakes up and realizes what was going on. “Aw, it looks like he’s asleep already though. He probably needs to sleep off the alcohol, so I don’t know if we should wake him unless we have to…”

Keith blinked, too busy with his own inner panic to realize that Hunk was right. Lance was fast asleep. Asleep on him, oh god, how was Keith going to survive this?  
  
Shiro, sensing what Hunk was doing quickly chimed in. “It’s alright Keith, he looks pretty comfortable right now so just stay where you are, but let us know if you’re not comfortable with it, we can move him if we have to.”

 

“Ugh fine...” Keith groaned, though he couldn’t really complain _too_ much about his current predicament - he was more embarrassed than anything. It was rather comfortable if he was being honest.  
  
Hunk, as if sensing Keith’s turmoil quickly ushered the others into the kitchen to give the two some privacy. But not before sharing a knowing smile with Shiro and Pidge who gave him a thumbs up.  
  
Keith visibly relaxed once everyone left the living room. Taking in a deep breath, he let the fact that Lance was sleeping on top of him sink in. Slowly he turned his gaze down, catching tufts of soft brown hair in his vision, before glancing at Lance’s serene sleeping face. A flush was high on his cheeks, but he looked so comfortable, lips parted slightly taking in deep, even breaths. Keith felt his cheeks burn. He had never gotten the chance to see Lance this close before, and seeing him relaxed was so different from when he was awake. He had never noticed how long and thick Lance’s eyelashes were, or how smooth and soft his skin looked.

Keith was snapped out of his thoughts when Lance shifted on top of him, groaning softly before pressing closer to Keith and burying his nose into his neck, making Keith’s breath catch in his throat, his body going rigid. Holy shit, they were totally cuddling right now, and Lance wasn’t even aware of it. Keith felt a mixture of happiness and disappointment hit him. Although he was happy to be so close to Lance, he wished it was under different circumstances. Watching Lance for a few more moments, his hand hesitated before he placed it gently on the small of Lance’s back, his heart was probably thumping so loud, it could probably wake Lance from his sleep.

When Lance still didn’t wake from his touch he eventually relaxed into the sofa again and just enjoyed the moment, taking his time to think about how he and Lance had grown close over only the span of a few months. They had started off as just doctor and patient - something that was a normal everyday occurrence to Keith. But somehow, over a short period of time, their relationship seemed to have grown into something natural, something that felt like...more than friends? Keith still wasn’t sure where they stood, and he didn’t know how Lance felt about him, but Keith knew that he had fallen head over heels for Lance, and probably had been for awhile now. A small smile made its way to his lips as he watched the other sleep, his embarrassment making way for contentment.

 

\---

 

Lance blinked sleepily for a few moments before closing them again. He felt a warm hand on his back but he was warm and comfortable, so he made no moves to get up. His body still felt heavy, his head was still fuzzy, and he wasn’t quite sure where he was, but he felt safe, and it smelled like Keith. Was he dreaming? Cause if he was, he didn’t want to wake up. Sighing, he settled down again deciding that more sleep would be good.

An hour had passed when Lance woke up again, he hadn’t really sobered up much compared to the last time he woke, but this time, his throat hurt and his head was killing him. Groggy and aching a little, he managed to push up onto his elbows and faintly registered that Keith was staring back at him with - was that worry? - in his eyes.  
  
“L-Lance?” Keith asked, his voice stuttering a little, surprised by Lance’s sudden movement. “How are you feeling? Do you need anything?”  
  
Lance blinked blearily at Keith, almost falling on him again if the other man hadn’t kept him up. “Keith?” He groaned before leaning against him dizzily. “Mnn...can I have some wat’r…” he slurred, not bothering to try and pick himself back up from leaning on Keith’s chest.  
  
Keith nodded, making sure to keep him steady. “Yeah sure, I’ll go and-”  
  
Lance whined when Keith tried to get up, making Keith bite his lip, not really sure how to deal with a drunk Lance, but he decided it would be best to stay with him when he still seemed rather intoxicated. Fishing his phone from his pocket he shot Shiro a quick text to ask him to bring Lance a glass of water.  
  
Not 2 minutes later, Shiro walks into the living room with a glass of water in hand. Smiling at the two, he made his way around the sofa to give Lance the cup. Lance started at the water for a moment, as if in a daze, before taking it into his hands, and smiling goofily. “Thanks Sh’ro.” he mumbled before gulping the water down. Shiro turned to Keith, moving a hand onto Lance’s other side. “Hey Keith, I’ll watch him for a few minutes, why don’t you get up and stretch a little before you come back?”  
  
Keith hesitated, Lance still leaning heavily against him while he sipped the water.  
“But he’s still-”  
  
“I know Keith, you’ve been watching over him for almost two hours, just take a quick break and come back alright? He’ll be fine.”  
  
Keith was reluctant to leave, but now that Shiro mentioned it he was a little thirsty and heading to the bathroom would be nice. With a sigh he gave in.  
  
“Fine, but only for a few minutes, I’ll be back.” Keith mumbled before moving to get up.  
  
“What? Wh’re you goin’ Keith…?” Lance slurred, looking up at Keith with curious blue eyes. Keith couldn’t stop the small smile he gave to Lance before he answered.  
  
“Just going to grab a drink, I’ll be back in a minute.”  
  
It took Lance a few long seconds to register what Keith said before nodding, “mmkay~” he said happily while sipping more water, Shiro making sure to keep a firm grip on his arm so he wouldn’t topple over.  


“Hey Lance,” Shiro called as he sat down beside Lance giving him a small smile. 

“Hm?”

 “Do you want to tell Keith an awesome joke?” Shiro said while patting Lance’s back. He felt a little bad for what he was about to do, since he’s been teasing his brother all night, but Keith clearly liked Lance, and Shiro just wanted his brother to open up and express his feelings already. It was rare for Shiro to see Keith interested in anything, let alone anyone, and he knew that Lance was special to him. He wholeheartedly wanted it to work out for them, and if Hunk’s looks of excitement whenever the two interacted earlier indicated anything, it was very likely that Lance felt the same.  
  
Lance, still sipping from his cup of water and now a little more awake, glanced over at Shiro with interest. Although his movements and reactions were still sluggish, he at least seemed to have his balance again.

“Wha? A joke? I didn’ know Keith liked j’kes…” Lance said while tapping his chin curiously, a delicate brow raising up. After a few moments of thought, he turned back to Shiro with a grin.  
  
“Yeah yeah! Tell me th’ joke I wanna make ‘im laugh!” Lance said eagerly, leaning his ear closer to Shiro and almost toppling over in the process, but Shiro reached out with a strong hand, making sure he didn’t fall off the couch.  
  
Once Shiro told him the joke, the fireman just stared at Shiro with a perplexed expression, not really getting the joke at all. But he was too lazy to ask what it meant, and had to ask Shiro to repeat it at least five times before he could remember the line at all. Just as Lance was going to repeat it to Shiro to see if he got it right, Keith returned. He quickly made his way back to the sofa and crouched down in front of Lance to peer at him.

 

“Hey Lance, I’m back. Are you feeling any better?”  
  
Lance nodded, smiling at Keith. “Ya I feel a lil’ better...” He said before trailing off, trying to think of the joke Shiro had told him a minute before. “Hey Keith, I have t’ tell you somthin’” he said while leaning closer.  
  
Keith blinked, although he was a little worried for Lance’s intoxicated state, he couldn’t deny that even his drunk talking was rather cute.  
  
“Yeah? Go ahead, is something wrong?”  
  
Lance shook his head clumsily before speaking. “Blood is red...cy’nosis is blue, I get tachy- tachycardia when I look at ‘chu~*” he laughed at his own words, despite not getting it at all. He just felt giddy and the look that spread across Keith’s face, made him double over in laughter, curling up on the couch with fits of uncontrollable giggles.

 

_[*note: (a very lame medical pick-up line)_

_Cyanosis - a bluish discoloration of the skin from inadequate oxygenation of the blood._

_Tachycardia - an abnormally rapid heart rate.]_

 

Shiro snorted and slapped a hand over his mouth, trying to fight down the urge to laugh. He did his best to look innocent while looking away from Lance giggling on the couch and Keith making the perfect impression of a tomato.

Keith was shocked into silence. What did Lance just say? Did he hear right?? Was that a pick up line?! That was definitely a pickup line! But how did Lance know all of those medical terms? Keith’s brain took a long moment to put two and two together before he gave Shiro an accusatory glare, despite it probably being super ineffective considering his cheeks were still flushed red.  
  
“Shiro…” he gritted, fists clenched and ready to smack some sense into his brother. Shiro was quick to react and got up before Keith could lunge for him, laughing on his way back towards the kitchen where everyone else had already quickly shuffled back inside, pretending they hadn’t just watched the whole scene play out.

Keith fumed, watching the whole gang try to act like nothing had happened. God, why couldn’t any of them just leave them alone? Lance was still giggling, holding his stomach with tears in the corners of his eyes which he moved a hand to wipe. And while Keith was very tempted to chase after Shiro and give him a piece of his mind, Lance’s happy expression made his anger dissipate. If Shiro had made Lance say that stupid pickup line, then that means Lance wasn’t trying to flirt with him. Keith fought down the small feeling of disappointment that rose up in his chest.

 

A small huff of laughter escaped Keith’s lips. “What’s so funny Lance?” He said with a tone of fondness in his voice.  
  
Taking another minute to collect himself Lance just shrugged. “I’unno, your face was funny~” He slurred while trying to push himself up. Keith was quick to help him sit up, only to have the boy drape himself over him again. God, Keith’s blood pressure was going to be off the charts after tonight, but he couldn’t deny how much he liked having Lance’s warmth so close.  
  
“How is that funny?” Keith asked with a small chuckle.  
  
“Cause, you got all red n’ stuff. S’cuuute~” Lance hummed before hugging the other boy once more. He was like a clingy Koala.

Keith didn’t think he could blush any deeper, but it happened and Keith felt like his face was going to catch on fire soon. Lance thought he was cute? Or was he just saying that because he was drunk?

“W-What did you say?”  
  
“I _said_ that y’er cuuuuuuute Keiiiiith~” Lance sang before giggling again, completely leaning on Keith shoulder now, body shaking them both from his laughing.  
  
Keith couldn't believe what he was hearing, and a small feeling of hope started to bubble inside of him. He wondered if there was a chance that Lance liked him back? But he quickly extinguished that thought, not wanting to get his hopes up over what Lance says while drunk.

While Keith got lost in his thoughts, it seemed like Lance’s short burst of energy was spent and he sighed, arms falling to his sides before mumbling softly against Keith’s neck. “M’sleepy…” he said, emphasizing it with a yawn.

 

Keith felt that familiar warmth spread through his chest at Lance’s sleepy mumble and he found himself shifting to get back onto the couch, sitting next to Lance. “You want to sleep some more?”

The only reply he got was the deep, even breathing by his side that indicated Lance had already fallen back asleep. Keith smiled, giving Lance a tender look before leaning back into the sofa and trying to calm his racing heart for probably the hundredth time tonight, before pulling the other boy closer and allowing him to sleep on him once more.

 

Another hour passed by before Hunk approached the two of them. Keith had lost track of how long he had been on the sofa "cuddling" with Lance, but he found that he didn’t really care. But he quickly glanced at Hunk when he approached and gave him a sheepish look.  
  
“H-Hey Hunk, what’s up?”  he asked, trying to sound casual.

"Oh nothing really. I was just thinking it’s probably time for me to take Lance home now, seeing how it’s almost 4 am." 

“Oh...okay.” Keith said, not expecting it to be that late already and trying his best to hide the hint of disappointment from his voice.  
  
“Thanks for taking care of my buddy Keith, I’m sure he really appreciates it.” Hunk said with a large smile before reaching down to pick up his much smaller friend.  
  
“Noooooo…” Lance whined softly when Hunk tried to pry him away from Keith.  
  
Hunk fought down the urge to laugh. Man, his friend was doing a reaaaally bad job at hiding his crush for Keith. He’s going to freak out about it later, but Hunk was honestly glad to see him expressing his feelings like he wanted rather than hiding them like he had been for months now.  
  
“Come on buddy, I gotta get you home-”  
  
“Noooooo, Keith’s warm, I dun wannaa..."

 

Keith’s heart fluttered, hearing Lance say he didn't want to leave him, but Hunk was right, and Lance needed to get home. Reluctantly, he tried to steady Lance enough so that Hunk could lift him off the couch.

Once Lance was securely in Hunk’s arms, he continued to whine, making grabby hand motions at Keith. “But Keeeeeeith…” he complained before giving up, flopping back into Hunk’s arms with a pout. Hunk and Shay worked together to help Lance into his jacket as Keith made his way towards them after a long, much needed stretch.

Everyone gathered by the door to bid the three goodbye, and just as Shay and Hunk, still carrying Lance in his arms turned to leave, Keith heard Lance mumble a soft “I don’t need pants...I’m mermaid..."

Keith couldn’t help but chuckle a little at the ridiculous thing Lance just said. The way he pouted as he said it and how it came out as a whine was just too cute. He wondered what kind of dream Lance was having.

Hunk and the others all laughed along with Keith, Lance just said the most random things sometimes. After that, everyone said their goodbyes and Hunk followed Shay to the elevator and down into the parking lot.

 

Not soon after Shay, Hunk, and Lance left did the others begin to follow suit. It was pretty late after all.

Allura and Coran were the last to leave, and after wishing them a safe trip home, Keith and Shiro were left in the now quiet apartment.

 

Keith was quick to try and escape upstairs and just stew in his embarrassment for the rest of the night but as soon as he moved to leave he realized that the apartment was kind of a mess. Sighing, he moved back towards to kitchen to help his brother clean up.

Shiro shook his head with a small smile before following Keith into the kitchen and starting to wipe down the counters while his little brother moved the mostly empty bowls and plates into the sink. An awkward silence settled in the kitchen and Keith dreaded the inevitable teasing that was going to happen after everything that happened tonight. But Shiro was surprisingly silent, and that made Keith even more unnerved. After a few more seconds of unbearable silence Keith groaned loudly before turning to face his brother, arms crossing defensively and brows furrowing before he spoke. “Alright, I can tell you have something to say, so just say it.”  
  
Shiro put up his hands as if surrendering before giving Keith an apologetic and sheepish smile. “Well that was an eventful night wasn’t it?” He said, trying to keep the conversation from escalating before it even started.

Keith sighed, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.” He said quietly before looking off to the side.  
  
“What about it?”  
  
“Well- did you have fun?”  
  
“What kind of question is that? Shiro, what are you trying to get at?”

Shiro sighed, knowing that Keith was already defensive before they even started talking but he continued on anyway.    
  
“Alright alright, now I know this might sound like nagging, but you know I’m your brother right? So if you ever want to talk about anything, I’m all ears.”

 

Keith considered his options for a moment, he could tell by Shiro’s “big brother” tone that he wanted to try and have a serious conversation, but Keith wasn’t sure he was ready to have it, not when even his own thoughts are a mess. So he picked the second option.  
  
“I still don’t know what you’re talking about.” He grumbled stubbornly, avoiding Shiro’s stare.

“Keeeeith.” Shiro said with a warning tone, a brow raised.  
  
Keith snorted loudly, his brother always used to use that method when they were kids, but he wasn’t a kid anymore damn it. Another few moments of a stare down later Keith reluctantly gave in, knowing Shiro wouldn’t back down and unfolded his arms.  
  
“What is there to talk about though?” He asked. Although he knew Shiro was most likely asking about Lance, he had no idea what he was trying to insinuate.

“Well...I’ve just noticed that you and Lance have gotten pretty close? So I was just wondering how you feel about it...you know?”  
  
Keith almost felt bad for his brother. Almost. But the fact that he was being subjected to “this talk” banished the thought. He tried his best to hide the wave of embarrassment that threatened to take over. God this was the worst conversation ever.  
  
“What is there to feel about it? I don’t even know what we are... I mean I know we’re friends but…” Keith trailed off realizing he practically just admitted that he liked Lance. And although he was aware that Shiro and Pidge seemed to already know his feelings for Lance, admitting it out loud seemed to solidify it. The thought of that made him want to disappear.  
  
Shiro relaxed his posture a little, seeing that Keith was finally opening up a little.  
  
“So, you really like him huh?” Shiro said as more of a statement rather than a question.  
  
Keith hesitated for a moment before nodding, still not able to meet Shiro’s eyes.  
  
“Were you...planning on telling him?” The older male prompted.  
  
Keith recoiled looking at Shiro with wide eyes. “What?! N-NO WHY WOULD I DO THAT?!” he shouted, his voice breaking in the middle.  
  
Shiro put his hands up again in surrender. “I was just asking, no need to get angry...I do think you should tell him how you feel though, Keith. Maybe not now, and when you’re ready of course…” Shiro wasn’t sure where he was going with this and he took a deep breath before continuing, “Look, all I want to say is...just-- _consider_ expressing your feelings to him?”

 

Keith felt like his face was on fire. Was his brother seriously telling him to confess to Lance?! He’s freakin’ crazy. Keith knew that his immediate answer was a resound “Hell no!” cause who knows what kind of person Lance liked? Or if he even liked guys? There were way too many unknown factors, and Keith really didn’t want to ruin what they had developed. But a glance at Shiro’s hopeful expression, made Keith nod to placate his brother.  
  
“I’ll...think about it.” he grumbled before turning back to the dishes, clearly done with the conversation.  
  
Shiro chuckled once more before turning back to wipe the counter-tops again. As much as the older man wanted to tell Keith that Lance _most likely_ felt the same, he didn’t want to give his brother any false hope if he so happened to be wrong - even though he highly doubted he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't heard it yet, Jeremy did a cover of the song Keith and Lance sang together in this chapter.  
> You can listen to it [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Sn_O9vDlR0) ;3
> 
> Thank you for reading this chapter! We hope you enjoyed the fluff ♥


	6. "Knowledge or Death"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance finally wakes up after the party, only to find out about his drunken antics the night before. But it's all good cause a certain someone's about to give our fireman a surprise visit at the station! :3c

The sun from the window landed straight on his face, and his head was pounding in sync with his heartbeat. Lance could tell that this wasn’t going to be a good morning for him. Groaning, he rolled over, facing away from the sun. He tried to just go back to sleep but to no avail. With another groan, he begrudgingly opened his eyes to a sliver, surveying his surroundings groggily before he realized he didn’t remember how he had gotten home.  
  
What happened? Oh right...there was the New Year's party, and they had dinner, the countdown, karaoke and then...and then what? Shit. Lance couldn’t recall at all. Closing his eyes again he heaved a huge sigh, blindly fishing for his phone which he found in his pocket, before squinting at the screen.

2pm. Wow, he slept a long time. The last time he remembered anything was what, 1:30am? How did he end up back at home without remembering a thing? And god, this hangover was killing him. He needed to get up. It felt like something furry had died in his mouth, and he really needed to shower and get changed. Stretching his long limbs on the bed, he lazily slid off the sheets before shuffling out of his bedroom, almost tripping on his own sheets as he did so. Using the wall and door for support he peered blearily into his living room, only to find Hunk cooking in his kitchen.  
  
Oh, that explains how he got home, Hunk must’ve taken him; Hunk was the best. But shit, he must’ve gotten absolutely hammered if he couldn’t even remember what happened, and he dreaded asking his best friend what happened at the party. Pushing all of those thoughts aside for now, he padded slowly towards the kitchen. As if sensing his presence, the larger man turned to face him with a wide grin.  
  
“Oh hey! Good morning Lance!”  
  
Lance whined, clutching his aching head at Hunk’s chipper greeting. “Aughhhh, not so loud please buddy, I feel like my head’s gonna explode.”  
  
Hunk chuckled, watching as Lance moved to sit down, still unsteady on his feet. “That’s the hangover talking, here I’ll get you some medicine and some water.”  
  
Lance smiled gratefully, “Thanks man, you’re the best.”  
  
After he popped the pills and downed the glass of water gratefully, he informed Hunk he was going to try and clean up before breakfast, to which Hunk happily agreed. He couldn't help but snicker at Lance’s back as he left. As much as he knew Lance was going to hate what he did last night, Hunk felt like drunk Lance did a real number on Keith yesterday and that was a good thing, considering his buddy’s crush and all. Hunk wasn’t one to tease Lance too much, but playing matchmaker definitely had its benefits.

 

Lance took a nice long shower, which did help his throbbing head a little. After getting dressed and making sure he was presentable, he made his way back out towards the kitchen to see Hunk setting up the table.  
  
“Wow, is there nothing you can’t cook buddy? This looks great.” Lance commented while sitting down. Normally he’d be more excited, but he still felt like there was someone trying to hammer into his brain.  
  
“Oh pleaaase.” Hunk replied good naturedly. Lance always knew how to compliment.  
  
“So, how did you sleep?”  
  
“Ugh, fine I guess? I wish I could sleep more...Huuuuuunk, never let me drink again.” he whined, slumping in his chair.  
  
“Oh you’ll be fine, just give it a few more hours.”  
  
Lance pouted, but then his stomach growled loudly, making him flush in embarrassment.  
  
“Come on man, eat before it gets cold!”  
  
Lance couldn’t argue with that. As they ate the delicious food, a comfortable silence stretched between them. Lance could sense that Hunk wanted to say something but his friend wasn't taking initiative and Lance had a bad feeling that it had to do with what happened last night.

“Sooo uh...I’m guessing that you drove me home last night?” Lance asked, trying his best to sound casual, placing another spoonful of food in his mouth.

“Yeah, I did. Man, you were sleeping like a log!” Hunk answered, as he continued eating.

“O-Oh yeah?” Lance chuckled a little, a little bit of hope settling in his mind. That’s all Hunk had to say? That was good right? He didn’t do anything to embarrass himself? He wanted to ask but he also didn’t. Hoping that Hunk _was_ going to just leave it at that, he continued to eat.

“So...how much do you remember from last night?”

“Uh...I remember dinner, the countdown, then...singing some karaoke….and singing with Keith??? I’m not really sure if that last part happened though. ” Lance listed off with his fingers, brows creased in thought.

“Oh okay, well you kinda sorta flirted with Keith...like, pretty badly.”

“Wha….” Lance wheezed, kind-of-sort-of remembering that part but was hoping he just dreamt it. Before Lance could ask anything else, Hunk continued.  
  
“And, you totally used a pickup line on him too.” Hunk said calmly, but in his mind he was doing a mental countdown to Lance’s inevitable freak out. Lance’s mouth dropped open wide in shock, and he knew from experience that it was going to happen in 3...2...1  
  
Lance gasped loudly before slamming the table as he practically jumped up from his chair, making all the dishes rattle and his chair scraping backwards loudly. “I DID _WHAT?!”_ his voice so high, it almost came out as a screech.

  
Ah, and there it was. Hunk kept his composure and continued on, highly amused by Lance’s antics but trying his best not to show it. “Oh man, I didn’t even get to the best part!”  
  
“THERE’S MORE?! NONONO! NO BEST PART, THERE CAN’T BE MORE!”

“...so you really don’t remember? Not a bit? Cause you totally used a pick up line on Keith. What was it again?"

"Noooooo this can’t be happening HUNK WHY DIDN’T YOU _STOP_ ME?!” Lance covered his face in horror.

“Oh yeah! It was “Blood is red, cyanosis is blue, I get tachycardia when I look at you."”

“WHAT?! WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!” Lance exclaimed, not believing what he was hearing, his eyes so wide it looked like they were jutting out of his head while he gripped his hair in turmoil.

“I’m not too sure, but Keith seemed to appreciate it.” Hunk commented, shooting Lance a grin.  
  
“H-He ap-appreciated it.” Lance said, still in shock as all of it was slowly sinking in, a feeling of dread building in his stomach on top of his awful headache.

“WHERE WERE YOU WHEN ALL THIS WAS HAPPENING?! Oh my god Hunk I drunk flirted with _KEITH KOGANE_ ! HOW AM I GOING TO FACE HIM AGAIN?!“ He lamented, sinking towards the ground.  
  
“Well… um, sorry to add oil onto your fire but -- you now when I said there was more? Well.. uh, yeah, there’s more.”

Lance’s head shot up from the ground, blue eyes blown wide in horror.

“THERE’S _STILL_ MORE??!” He practically screeched, “WHAT ELSE COULD’VE POSSIBLY HAPPENED?!”

“Well, uhhh you two kinda...sorta...cuddled?” Hunk said with a sheepish smile, Lance’s reaction even more dramatic than he imagined it to be. Boy, was he head over heels for Keith.

Lance had his mouth hung so wide open it almost hit the floor, gaping like a fish out of water. “I. Cuddled. With. Keith. “

He stated in a deadpan tone, as if saying it slower would help him process it.

Lance stared at Hunk for a few long seconds with a blank expression, before curling up on the ground, face red up to his ears, and both hands trying to cover his flaming cheeks. How the hell did he end up _cuddling_ with Keith and not remember a thing?!  
  
“You better not be lying Hunk or I swear, I’m going to revoke your BFF status!” Lance cried from the floor.

“No man, I would never lie about this, and you know it.” Hunk laughed at his friend who was rolling on the floor. “Awww come on Lance! I thought you would be happy!”  
  
Lance scrambled up off the floor and into Hunk’s lap before making a praying motion with his hands. “Please Hunk, buddy, tell me it's just a joke.”  
  
Hunk raised a thick eyebrow before shaking his head. “It’s not, but hey man! It kinda sucks you don’t really remember but I mean, Keith seemed to be alright with it so--”  
  
“That doesn't matter Hunk! I totally made an absolute fool of myself in front of Keith! AUGHHH! So now he not only thinks I’m a _slob,_ but now I bet he thinks I’m an _idiot_ too!” Lance said while flailing his arms dramatically, trying to get Hunk to understand his plight.

Hunk sighed. Lance was being more stubborn than usual, but he knew his friend probably just needed some time. “Come on man, it wasn’t that bad. He seemed completely cool with everything so you should be happy! Don’t think too much about it~” Hunk said while patting his friend’s back in comfort.  
  
Lance pouted, jutting out his lower lip and a bit of moisture clinging to his eyes. “I’m just… gonna try and sleep some more.” He said sounding defeated, before getting up and heading back into his room. Hunk watched Lance leave with a small apologetic smile. Although Lance seemed a little overwhelmed right now, Hunk hoped this would help push the two stubborn headed men together.

  
Lance flopped face first onto his bed, face was still burning with embarrassment. The more he thought about it, the more small memories of warmth and Keith’s scent came to mind and he clutched his pillow tightly to try and stop his hammering heart. Shit, he was so fucked. Even though a small part of him was really happy to hear that Keith didn’t seem to mind all of his...advances? Was that even right? But he didn’t want to scare Keith off, and have him dislike him. It took so long for Lance to get closer to the doctor, and he just didn’t want to ruin the delicate connection they had created over his stupid drunken antics.

After rolling and whining on his bed for a good half hour, he glanced over at his phone on the bed side table with a thoughtful frown. Should he text Keith? Apologize maybe? Were they even cool anymore? Or maybe Keith wanted to stay away from him now? God he had so many questions and not enough answers. Biting his lip, he picked up his cell phone and clicked onto Keith’s contact. He hadn’t gotten any new texts from him, and he didn’t know if that was a good or bad sign. Hovering his thumbs over the keypad he typed a quick message.  
  
He stared at his message over and over, adding and changing words, too nervous to send it. But after another five minutes of fretting over the message, he quickly pressed send before tossing his phone away and curling back up on the bed. God, he really hoped Hunk was right. He really didn’t want to mess this up with Keith - he really _really_ liked him. Lance felt his face flush again, thinking back to the muddled memory of cuddling with Keith and closed his eyes tightly. Hopefully he’d fall asleep soon so he could stop thinking about a certain raven haired doctor with pretty, deep violet eyes.

 

.ﾟ☆ ☆ﾟ.

 

Dark, violet eyes opened hazily to the sound of a phone vibrating obnoxiously on the bedside table. Who the heck was spamming him with texts, when he had _one_ day off and could finally sleep in? Deciding to ignore it, he pulled the covers over his head to try and block out the noise, only for his phone to vibrate again. Three more times. Annoyed, Keith lazily rolled over and blindly reached for his cell phone on the bedside table to check the messages. There were 10 missed messages from Pidge and...wait...was that a message from Lance?? Shooting up from his bed and rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn’t dreaming, he looked at the screen again.

 

 **3:25PM [From Lance** **♥]** **:**

Hey Keith, good afternoon! I hope you slept well :)

I just wanted to say sorry for how I acted last night...I heard that I was a quite a handful from Hunk, I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable or anything? Are we still cool? )’:

 

Keith read the text over five times the make sure he wasn’t reading it wrong. Why would Lance think he had done something bad enough to the point where Keith wouldn’t be “cool” with him? Other than making Keith a flustered mess - which was mainly his own fault - Lance had been a rather pleasant drunk. Hell, the boy had basically slept for most of the night. Keith had had much worse experiences with alcoholic patients, and even _those_ experiences never scared Keith away.

But despite knowing that Lance had done absolutely nothing wrong, the idea that Lance somehow thought he had made Keith dislike him made his stomach turn. Did Lance really think he’d be that easily annoyed? Or maybe Hunk had told Lance a lie to mess with him? No, even in the little time Keith had known Hunk, he knew the larger man wasn’t anything like that. Taking a deep breath he managed to calm his nerves down a little. Lance was probably just trying to be thoughtful. Keith felt a small smile tug on his lips at the thought. It was very Lance-like. Finally, Keith typed back a reply.

 

 **3:29PM [to Lance** **♥]** **:**

Hi Lance, I slept well, I hope you did too!

You were no trouble at all yesterday, so don’t worry yourself over it. :)

Make sure you drink a lot of water, and get more rest for that hangover, it will help you feel better.

 

Keith had a lot more to say, but he decided that it would be hard to explain over text, so he left it simple and clicked send before flopping back down onto his bed. Screw reading Pidge’s texts. Just from the thumbnails and message previews alone he knew they were nothing but blackmail from last night’s party and teasing. So he closed his eyes again, hoping to sleep for a few more minutes.

 

**.ﾟ☆ . Next Day . ☆ﾟ.**

 

It was just past 2:30 pm and Keith had finally finished attending to all the appointments he had for the moment; He had about a 2 hour break until his next patient came in. Sitting down at his desk, he breathed out a content sigh and stretched his shoulders. He debated on whether he should get ahead on the paperwork he had to get done by the end of the week, or just take a nap. Because of his workaholic lifestyle, he had more than enough time to finish them so he  decided to take a nap instead. He was about to get up and make his way to the couch on the other end of his office, but before he could even make it halfway to the couch, Shiro had waltzed into his office with a suspicious smile spread across his face.

“Hey Keith! You’re free for the next few hours right?” Shiro asked cheerfully, smile still on his face.

“....Yes...why?” Keith asked, voice wary, knowing that his older brother probably had planned something behind his back.

“Oh, I was just going to drop by the Voltron fire station, I have some papers for Allura to sign regarding firefighter safety and medical insurance. Soo I was just wondering if you wanted to come with me? You can visit Lance while you’re there~” He said, directing a grin at Keith.

Keith flushed at the mention of Lance’s name. He still wasn’t over the New Year’s party, and how they had cuddled together on the couch. The memory of it had been on the forefront of Keith’s mind anytime he had a free moment and it was killing him. He _did_ want to see Lance again, though a part of him was still worried that the fireman was still upset about what happened. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to visit the station for once though, since Lance had always been the one to visit him at the hospital.

After a few beats of silence Keith nodded. “Yeah sure, why not.”

Shiro nodded in approval before turning to leave. “We’re gonna head there in a few minutes, meet me in the parking lot when you’re ready. I’m going to go grab the papers.” His brother gave him a small wave as before exiting his office.

Keith stood there for a moment, realizing this was the first time he was going to see Lance since the New Year’s party, and he was both nervous and excited. Shiros little “advice” hadn’t gone unheard - he really was considering his feelings a little more than before, but it was still difficult for him. He decided he’d follow his instincts, and tell Lance when he felt that it was right. He knew it was too early at the moment, so he would just try his best to keep what they had going for now.

Removing his white coat and grabbing his wallet, he made his way down towards the parking lot towards the familiar black SUV where Shiro was already waiting.

 

\---

 

Lance sighed dreamily at his phone, reading the texts Keith had sent him yesterday for the hundredth time. Not only was Keith still cool with him after the absolute mess he was at the new year’s party, but he also gave him advice for taking care of his hangover throughout the day. Keith was too sweet, and damn it he was in too deep.

It was back to work again, and the station was relatively peaceful today. Although it was a little boring, peaceful days were good days, since less fires meant less accidents. It was almost his lunch break and Lance knew he should probably go and eat, but he was too busy thinking about a certain doctor. Despite what Keith had texted him, a small part of him was still scared that Keith was just acting nice. Lance was afraid that the next time he saw Keith, he would smile at him like usual, but it wouldn’t reach his eyes because...because Lance was an idiot and just had to go and get drunk, and potentially ruin the delicate balance he and Keith had created. He didn’t want Keith to feel uncomfortable around him.

Lance heaved a sigh, deciding that he shouldn’t just sit there contemplating about Keith through his lunch break. He stuffed his cell phone back into his pocket and made towards the main lobby. Hunk had long left to see Shay at her bakery down the road, and Lance was left to have lunch on his own. He was planning on grabbing some tacos or something to try and drown his emotions in, but man did he miss his buddy. Being ditched for love kinda sucked, but Lance couldn’t blame him, he’d probably be gone in a flash if he was in Hunk’s shoes and Keith somehow worked down the street. 

Just as Lance left the main gates, he saw a black SUV turn into the station, and he raised a questioning eyebrow. That wasn’t any of his coworkers...so who could it be? Curiosity getting the better of him, he rounded the corner of the station towards the parking area to see who it was. 

Lance squinted as the driver stepped out and Lance’s eyes widened upon seeing a familiar tuft of white hair and scar on his nose - it was Shiro, without a doubt. Why would he be here at the station? Glancing at the passenger's seat, he watched another figure step out and he almost choked on his own spit. Holy crow, it was Keith! He’d recognize that mullet anywhere! Why were they both here?! God, Lance’s heart wasn’t ready for this. He wondered if he should greet them rather than hide like a creep and spy on them. Taking a deep breath, despite his heart rate picking up, he made his way over, trying to sound as casual as possible as he waved at the two brothers.  
  
“Hey there Keith, Shiro, what brings you to the station?” he asked, proud of himself for keeping his voice level and trying his best not to squirm when he felt Keith’s gaze settle on him.

 

Just then, Allura barged out of the back door of the station, a wide smile plastered on her face and speed-walking towards the pair of doctors, waving with much more vigor than necessary. “Hello Shiro, Keith! I had a feeling you would arrive soon~ Do you have those....um - _documents_ you said you were going to bring Shiro?” she said with a high voice, tone strained, clearly trying too hard to act normal. 

Shiro fought back a sigh, mumbling a “very subtle Allura,” and earning an elbow in his side. Shiro grunted but kept the smile on his face. “Of course I did, I have them right here, do you want to go inside to go over the documents?” He said while patting his suitcase. Allura nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! Excuse us, boys, we have much to discuss, come along now Shiro!” She exclaimed, practically dragging Shiro into the station. Keith narrowed his eyes at his brother after seeing the odd exchange. He _knew_ Shiro was plotting something. Realizing he was alone now with a very confused Lance, Keith shoved his hands into his pockets nervously. “H-Hey Lance, how are you?”  
  
Lance snapped out of his confused stare, his blue eyes flicking over onto Keith. “O-Oh hey Keith! I - I, um, I’m great! How about you?” Lance stammered, much to his dismay.  
  
Keith smiled, Lance was too cute. “Yeah I’m pretty good.”  
  
“That’s good to hear.” Lance said rubbing the back of his neck.  
  
An awkward silence stretched between them, both of them unsure of how to proceed after what happened and Keith was the first to break it.  
  
“So uh, have you had lunch yet?” He asked, giving Lance a friendly smile.  
  
Lance quickly shook his head. “N-No actually, I was just about to head to lunch so um...if- if you haven’t yet either maybe we could…I dunno head out for lunch together? I-If you’re okay with that of course!” The fireman trailed off, making nervous hand gestures.  
  
As Keith watched Lance act all nervous he couldn’t stop the small chuckle that slipped out, his posture relaxing. It seemed like Lance wasn’t avoiding him, which was good. Keith would count that as a win. “Yeah sure, I haven’t had anything for lunch just yet.”  
  
Lance’s posture straightened and he brightened up considerably. “Yeah? Okay! Let’s go then, what do you wanna get? There aren’t a ton of options nearby but maybe we can find something you might like?” He suggested, trying not to let his excitement slip into his words. Keith wanted to have lunch with him and maybe he had been over thinking after all, Keith was still Keith, and his attitude towards him hadn’t changed. Lance felt a wave of relief hit him and he nodded when Keith mentioned something about coffee under his breath.  
  
“Alright, cafe it is! I know a good one come on follow me~” Lance grinned before gesturing Keith to follow.

  
Keith glanced around curiously, they were on a rather cozy street, filled with little stores and small restaurants only a block away from the station. It was a different area from where he lived but Keith quite liked it. Lance was moving enthusiastically, pointing to different stores and restaurants and telling Keith a little about them and how “cool” some of the places were. The doctor trailed behind, enjoying the little comments and stories. A few more minutes of walking later, Lance stopped in his tracks and turned to Keith with a smile.  
  
“Ta-Da! It’s Marmora Cafe! I think Shiro brought Allura and me here when I first got into the station? They kinda look scary, but their food and drinks are really good!”  
  
Keith raised a questioning eyebrow. The cafe reminded him of a bar and was dimly lit with modern black and purple decals. Sure it looked nice, but it didn’t seem like your usual homey or cute cafes you’d expect when picturing a cafe.  Keith followed Lance in curiously, taking in all of the decor and the smell of tea and coffee. He had never once heard Shiro talk about this cafe, how weird. He supposed it was too far to the hospital for them to consider and he brushed that thought aside. Turning his attention back to Lance who had strolled up towards the counter, the brunette took one menu from the stack and shifted closer to Keith before handing him the little sheet.  
  
“Here Keith! Take a look at the menu, what do you feel like getting?”  
  
Keith blinked. It’s been a long while since he had left the hospital for lunch, and he had no idea what he wanted to get, other than coffee of course.  
  
“Uhh...do you have any...recommendations?” he asked, sounding lame even in his own ears.  
  
But Lance was unphased, gasping when he took the menu from Keith and pointed at some of the sandwiches. “Their Blade of Marmora sandwich special is really good! I’ve had it a few times, do you want to give it a try?”  
  
Keith nodded, not really caring much about what he ate.  
  
“Anything else? A drink maybe?”

“Uh...just black coffee would be nice.” 

Lance gaped at Keith, never once had he met someone who straight up got black coffee. Keith had a new level of bland taste buds, but Lance could fix that. 

“Wow, I didn’t expect you to get just black coffee but alright!”  
  
Keith crossed his arms raising an eyebrow at Lance. “What's wrong with black coffee? It’s great.”  
  
Lance laughed before shaking his head, putting his hands up in mock surrender. “Nothing, nothing~ I get it, you work all day and need it to keep you going, no judgement.” He said a lot more serious than he intended. Keith just snorted lightly, before the person behind the counter moved towards the cashier.  
  
The fireman waved at the cashier, who gave him a curt nod. “Hey Ulaz! How ya doing? I brought my buddy Keith here today so make everything extra special.”  
  
Ulaz raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. Lance was a regular customer here, and although he was a little eccentric, the man knew that he was a good kid. “Hm. Alright I will let Kolivan know. Have you decided on your orders?”  
  
Lance nodded before speaking. “Yeah! Can I get 2 “Blade of Marmora” special sandwiches? And then a “Knowledge or Death” black coffee, a “Trials of the blade” frappuccino, and a “Marmora Surprise” please! That will be all, thanks my man~”

Keith couldn’t stop the stupid smile that was stuck on his face. One, those frickin’ names for the menu items were ridiculous, and two, this Ulaz guy - although he seemed very nice - was serious, and spoke in a deadpan manner; while Lance ordered animatedly with a lot of exaggerated hand motions. The contrast was so hilarious that Keith almost laughed out loud, but he managed to keep it in by biting his lower lip and covering his mouth with his hand. God, Lance was just too cute for him to handle.

 

\---

 

Ulaz quickly took Lance’s order before making his way to the back where Kolivan, Thace and Antok were all working in the kitchen.  
  
“It is Lance, he is back with a new friend I have not seen before. But he wanted me to tell you to “Make it special”, was his exact words.”  
  
All three men turned to Ulaz with a confused expression while Kolivan frowned. “Special...huh? I think I understand what Lance is referring to.”  
  
Ulaz nodded before making his way back out to serve the next customers.  
  
Thace turned to Kolivan who was preparing some ingredients for Lance’s order. “Did you really understand what “making it special” means?” Thace asked Kolivan curiously.  
  
Kolivan frowned again, turning to face Thace. “It has to be a love interest, what other meaning could it possibly mean.” Kolivan replied, deadpanned.  
  
Thace raised an eyebrow but didn’t question it. He supposed it made the most sense, but how were they going to do that? “Do you...have any suggestions on how we “make this special” as requested?”  
  
“I have an idea. Just leave the dessert to me.” Kolvan stated before Thace shrugged and continued preparing the rest of Lance’s order.

 

\---

  
Lance quickly turned back to Keith with a grin, waving a little machine with the number 12 on it when he finished ordering. “Alright! Now we just gotta find some seats and they’ll let us know when everything is ready~” Lance said, before realizing Keith was looking at him with a highly amused expression on his face. His heartbeat quickened, it was unfair how Keith could shoot him a single look and make him feel so many emotions. Quickly recovering from his stupor, Lance cleared his throat.  
  
“What’s so funny, mullet? I just ordered our food.” He said before pouting, placing a hand on his hip accusingly and cocking his hip to the side.  
  
Keith just chuckled before shaking his head. “No, it’s nothing, don’t worry about it. Also, stop calling me that.”  
  
“Nope!”  Lance smirked before leaving to head to an empty table. Keith rolled his eyes but the smile never left his lips, and he followed Lance to sit down at the table.  
  
A few minutes passed, and the number buzzed on the table. “Oh! I think our stuff is done!” Lance made a move to get up but Ulaz was already heading his way, with Antok close behind him, both with trays and drinks in hand.  
  
Lance blinked, not expecting to be served like this, but he sat back down when their food and drinks were placed down on the table between them.  
  
“Here are your food and drinks, Lance. I told Kolivan your message, he said he hopes you enjoy it.” Ulaz deadpanned - like some soldier - before he bowed and walked back behind the counter. Both Lance and Keith stared at the two men leave, before turning to face each other and breaking into a fit of laughter.

 

  
After they both finally settled down, Lance realized that Ulaz was right, and everything _was_ presented much more elaborately than they usually were, and - was that a heart in his sundae!? When he said special he didn’t mean _that_ kind of special. Quickly, before Keith could notice it, he grabbed the carefully decorated sundae and swirled it around to get rid of the heart. Wait - they even gave him two spoons?! This was so embarrassing. He had to make sure to talk to Ulaz and the others later about this.  
  
Keith gave Lance a confused look, not expecting him to start with dessert. “You gonna eat dessert first?”  
  
Lance fought down the flush that he knew was on his cheeks. “U-Uh well yeah! Duh, it’s going to melt if I don’t eat it first.” He said hurriedly, before mentally patting himself on the back. Good, Keith didn’t notice the heart, and his excuse was actually decent for once.  
  
Keith tilted his head in confusion but shrugged, deciding that Lance had a point. As they both ate in comfortable silence, Keith was pleasantly surprised by the sandwich and his coffee -  they were both well made and tasted amazing, even if they had ridiculous names.  
  
Sitting across from Lance like this, Keith realized that this...almost seemed like a date. The thought itself made that warm feeling return to his chest. He ate slowly, more interested in how Lance was eating than his own meal.  
  
Lance was tackling his sundae with a lot of enthusiasm. Turns out he really liked sweets, and it showed. Realizing Keith had been watching him eat, he paused, “Did you uh, want to try some?” He offered to which Keith almost choked on his coffee before he shook his head.  
  
“N-No no, it's fine, I’m not really into sweets but thanks for the offer.”  
  
Lance blinked, nodding, before taking another spoonful of sundae and shoving it into his mouth with a contented expression.  

Keith fought down the feeling of fondness that washed over him when he saw the smear of ice cream on the other’s cheek. Could Lance get any cuter? He has to be doing this on purpose to smite him, it had to be! It was unfair. Keith debated whether to address it or not, but decided it would be best to tell him since Lance seemed completely oblivious to it, having pushed the sundae aside and was now taking a bite of his sandwich.

“Lance, you uh, got a little bit of ice cream on your cheek." Keith said to him with a quirk on his lips, one finger pointing to his own cheek to let Lance know where it was.  

Lance gasped, quickly pulling the hem of his shirt up to wipe the wrong cheek. “I-Is it gone now?” He said, a faint blush coloring his face. Dammit, Keith really must think he's a slob now, he couldn’t even eat without making a goddamn mess.

 _God,_ _Lance will be the death of me_ Keith thought to himself, probably the fifth time since they entered the cafe. “Not yet, the other cheek.”

Lance blinked before pulling his shirt again to wipe the correct cheek this time. “H-How about now?” He said, clearly embarrassed, using both hands to try and straighten his now wrinkled shirt.

“You got it.” Keith answered, a small chuckle escaping his lips.

“Thanks Keith, sorry I uh… I guess I’m a bit of a messy eater.” Lance said abashedly, rubbing the back of his head and giving Keith a sheepish smile.

Keith laughed again, losing count how many times he had done that in the hour he had spent with Lance. There was just something about him that just made Keith want to smile, and he found that he didn’t ever want it to stop. It was a new feeling, but one that he could get used to.  

After they finished everything on the table, Lance got up and stretched before making his way towards the counter. Keith followed, wondering what Lance was doing.

Another serious looking man greeted them at the counter this time, but he also seemed to recognize Lance and gave him a small smile. “Hello Lance, did you enjoy your meal?”  
  
“Oh yeah! It was great, as usual! Thanks a lot~!”  
  
“No problem. Did you also enjoy today’s special sundae?”  
  
Lance’s cheeks flared pink and he quickly made a shushing motion with his finger on his lips before making an “X” with his arms while shaking his head. Thace only cocked an eyebrow, not understanding Lance’s gestures.  
  
“Is that a no?”  
  
“Nononono, it was - it was perfectly good - Thank you. UM… Can I get the bill please? I kinda have to head back to the station, so if you could that’d be great Thace buddy?”  
  
Thace continued to stare at Lance in confusion but nodded. “Certainly.”  
  
Keith blinked at the whole exchange, having no clue what was going on, but then he snapped out of it when he realized Lance had just offered to pay the entire bill. “Woah Lance, who said you needed to pay for my lunch? There’s no need to-”  
  
“Aww come on Keith! It’s my treat, I’m just glad you enjoyed it. Plus it’s no biggie, I can handle it.” He said with his chin held up high as he passed Thace his credit card who swiped it before handing it back. “Thank you for coming Lance, and...friend. We hope to see you again.”  
  
Lance saluted Thace with a grin, before dragging Keith out of the cafe, but not before yelling “His name’s Keith by the way!” on his way out.

Keith let himself be dragged by Lance, down the block back towards the fire station. Although he wanted to protest about being treated for lunch, he didn’t have the heart to reject Lance’s kindhearted offer. He tried not to focus on that, but instead focused on how Lance’s warm and tanned hand held onto his own pale fingers. It felt so right, and yet so surreal. His heart tightened at the idea of being able to do this with Lance on a regular basis, and tried to fight off the disappointment he felt when Lance let his hand go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things have been going great so far for our boys, but how long will it last? :)
> 
> PS. Thank you for sticking with us for so many chapters! Any feedback or comments (or fangirl/boying lol) are greatly appreciated! ♥


	7. CODE RED

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little too hot for comfort.

**8:37PM [From Lance** **♥]:**

Hey Keith! I hope you had a good day at work~ Have you had dinner yet? Man I’m starving, I had to OT today cause there was a big forest fire near the city that refused to go out... ):

 

 **8:38PM [To Lance** **♥]:**

Hey Lance, I haven’t had dinner yet either...or sleep last night for that matter. That forest fire was near a campsite and it even took out a few buildings, I’m sure you know more than I do. But the hospital has been pretty busy for the last 24hrs, thankfully though things seemed to have settled down. :)

 

Keith sighed, sipping his - what was it now? Eighth cup of pure black coffee in the last 2 days? He lost track. And even though coffee helped him, he was really starting to feel the sleep deprivation hit him hard. Little sleep was one thing, but not sleeping at all wasn’t something he could get used to. Rubbing his eyes and face tiredly with one hand, his cell phone vibrated again.

 

 **8:39PM [From Lance** **♥]:**

Aww man yeah, we had to send a lot of people your way...I’m sure it was hell for you, but I’m glad they’re in your hands though, Dr.Kogane is the best doc in the universe! >:3

 

A short laugh escaped from him after he read Lance’s text. It’s become a daily routine between them now, and Keith had slowly learned to grow accustomed to chatting with the fireman. He even looked forward to the random texts, and sometimes selfies Lance would send him at the weirdest of times. Despite how tired he felt even now, Lance never failed to make him feel better.

 

 **8:40PM [To Lance** **♥]:**

You’re ridiculous Lance, but thank you, I appreciate it. :)

 

 **8:41PM [From Lance** **♥]:**

You are very welcome~ you better get some rest and food soon though!

 

 **8:42PM [To Lance** **♥]:**

Don’t worry, I’ll be heading home soon :)

 

 **8:42PM [From Lance** **♥]:**

Okay, have a safe trip home! I’m going to get some grub too, so I’ll text ya later~! :3

P.s. you better not be lying about going home cause I have Pidge’s number 

P.p.s. Have a good evening and get some well deserved rest!! <3

 

Keith chuckled, shaking his head. Lance was so weird, but in the best way possible, it made Keith’s heart flutter each time he talked to him . After typing a quick reply, Shiro made his way into his office and put an arm on his hip and sighed. “Keith, why are you still here? I told you to go home half an hour ago.” Keith snorted, wondering if Lance and Shiro had somehow coordinated together to try and get him to leave the hospital and go home.

“Yeah yeah, I got it. Both you and Lance have scolded me enough. I’m going to head home now. I’ll see you tomorrow morning Shiro.” 

Shiro raised an amused eyebrow. “Oh good, I finally have someone else on my side. You never listen to me, but I guess you’d listen to Lance more than me, huh?” Shiro phrased that last bit with a teasing tone, grinning as he did so.

Keith couldn’t stop the blush that made its way on his face and he glared at Shiro before tossing a pen at his obnoxious brother’s teasing. “Shut up Shiro. I said I was leaving already, geez.”He grumbled before moving to grab his jacket. Shiro laughed, the pen did nothing but smack into his arm with a dull tap before he caught it with ease.

As Keith made his way to the parking lot, the cool air outside helped to clear his head a little and wake him up. It had been such a long day, he couldn’t wait to just go home, shower, and sleep. Getting into his red Mustang, Keith drove the short distance towards his apartment, and within 15 minutes he was unlocking his door and removing his jacket. He felt a little guilty not eating anything after promising Lance, but honestly after staying awake for more than 24 hours, the exhaustion was too much to bare. _I’ll just eat when I wake up_ he thought to himself as he stepped into the shower. After a quick but relaxing shower, he managed to drag himself towards his comfortable looking bed and he was asleep in seconds.

 

\---

 

Lance stretched, just finishing dinner that he shared with the others at the station, they had ordered a ton of pizza and Lance had been starving. Lance wondered how Keith was doing, but he didn’t want to text him in case he was fast asleep, which he should be. It was almost 11 PM, and he only had one more hour until his shift ended; it seemed like the day would end with some peace and quiet, but just before he could even finish that thought, the alarms blared, shocking him out of his relaxed slouch on the lounge room sofa. Sighing, he and the rest of the firefighters geared up, and were ready to roll out within several quick minutes.

“Where are we headed?” Lance asked Hunk as they quickly grabbed their equipment and took their rightful positions in the fire truck.

“There’s a three-alarm fire with reports of large flames coming from the top floors of the apartment building at 174 Garrison Drive. The others from nearby stations are already there, we’ll be the last to arrive due to our distance.” Hunk informed him and the rest of the team in the truck.

Lance listened to Hunk’s explanation with furrowed brows. Why did that address sound so familiar? Nothing came to mind at first, but Lance knew he had seen that street name not long ago. After a few moments of thought, Lance’s blue eyes widened in fear and his heart leaped up into his throat. He _had_ read that stupid street name not that long ago, and it was on the day of the New Year’s party - _it was Keith’s apartment_!

Scrabbling for his phone in his bulky uniform he jammed his thumb onto Keith’s contact and prayed that he would pick up. He knew Keith had headed home a few hours ago, and he should be in his apartment, and that thought alone scared him. _Come on Keith, please pick up, please tell me you’re okay_ , he thought frantically, gripping the side of the truck as it swerved and took a sharp turn. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion, he couldn’t hear Hunk’s concerned questions, he just needed Keith to pick up the damn phone. When he was redirected to voicemail for the third time he felt his stomach drop. _Shit, fuck!_ Keith was either just asleep and didn’t hear his calls or he could be trapped in the fire and can’t make it to his phone.

The world seemed to come back to him at an alarming pace, the sirens too loud in his ears and Hunk’s calls echoing through his head. He felt like he was going to be sick. Turning to Hunk who was still looking at him with wide concerned eyes, the only thing he could get out was a soft disbelieving, “It’s Keith, Hunk… It’s Keith’s apartment.” 

The larger boy’s eyes widened as realization dawned on him and they both shared a fearful expression for a few seconds before the fire truck came to an abrupt stop. Before Hunk or any of his team could stop him, Lance was already leaping out of the truck. He hit the ground running and made his way towards the other firefighters who were already on the scene and fighting back the roaring flames the best they could from the ground.  
  
Shouting over the loud sounds of sirens, shouting, and water, Lance asked the closest fireman to him to give him an update on the situation. He needed to know what floors had been affected, _he needed to know._  
  
“...Floors from level 30 down to level 21 have been affected by the flames--”  
  
Before the other fireman could finish briefing him, Lance was running again. Wasting no time, he entered the emergency stairs from the back of the building and made his way up as fast as his legs could carry him, praying that Keith would be okay until he got there, or maybe he had already been saved? That would be best, but Lance knew he couldn’t afford to wait and hope. He needed to see for himself, to make sure that Keith would be alright, every second counted. His heart was thundering against his rib cage so loud, he could barely hear his own thundering footsteps. _Come on Keith, please, don’t do this to me, please be okay._

 

\---

 

It was hot, why was it so hot? Keith’s brows furrowed in his sleep, and kicked off his comforter. After a few seconds, he realized it was actually getting hotter. Why? Reluctantly, he opened his eyes, only to see his room was slightly grey and hazy. His sleep addled brain tried to process what was going on, but then a coughing fit hit him, and he realized the entire room smelt like smoke and it was getting hard to breathe. After a brief moment of confusion, he snapped out of his sleep induced daze and realization hit him. Fire. His apartment was on fire. He needed to get out!  
  
Covering his nose and mouth with his sleeve, he swung himself out of bed and made his way towards his bedroom door. The smoke made it hard to see and he couldn’t stop coughing.  
  
Once he got to the door, he reached for the handle only to retract his hand when it was hot to the touch. Panic started to rise in his chest - he couldn’t get out of his room! Looking for his phone he quickly grabbed it and realized he had several missed call from Lance. _Lance._ Did Lance know about the fire? Shit, maybe he could help? With shaky hands, Keith clicked on Lance’s contact. He heard his phone ring, while he continued to cough and moved as far away from his bedroom door as possible. The smoke was getting worse and the heat was slowly creeping into his room from the door. _Come on Lance, please pick up._

When he got nothing but voicemail, he tried again. He was wondering if he should call 911 but he could faintly hear sirens from the ground even through the walls, so there should be help on the way, right?  
  
When his call didn’t go through again he tried once more, his panic slowly turned into dread. His lungs were burning and he couldn’t breathe. His vision began to blur, and he slumped down to the ground, phone still clutched tightly in his hands. All he could do now was pray that help arrived in time, and he hoped to god that Lance would pick up. Was this how he was going to die? Alone in his apartment?

It was almost funny. He rarely ever came home to sleep, and yet one of the few times he did, something like this just _had_ to happen. It was just his luck.

When Lance didn’t pick up for the third time, he shakily got back up to his feet and tried to get the door again, but it had only gotten worse, the handle even hotter than before. Forced back into his room, he found himself desperately calling Lance once more, his consciousness was slipping and he knew he was running out of time.

 

\---

 

Lance was up 5 floors when he felt his phone vibrate. He didn’t have time to check his phone, but the dread building in his stomach spiked when he realized it could very well be Keith trying to call him. He quickened his pace even further, pushing his body to move faster still. When the vibrating didn’t stop even when he reached up to level 12, he knew with his heart clenching, that it most likely _was_ Keith calling him. He wanted to pick up, he _really_ did, but he couldn’t afford to stop. Every second counts, he tried his best to fight back his emotions and focus on moving, his heart was beating so hard that he felt like it would leap out of his chest. _I’m coming Keith, please hang on._ He thought in desperation. Every vibration in his pocket made his chest clench, and when he reached Floor 20 and the vibrating stopped, he felt his own heart stop. No no no no, he was so close, just a few more minutes. Lance felt morbid relief hit him when he spotted the smoke and flames a minute later, he was here, he finally made it.  
  
Taking out his axe, he promptly hacked open the Floor 23 emergency exit. Immediately he was assaulted with heat and smoke. Pushing past the heat, Lance moved towards Keith’s door only to see it engulfed in flames. Cursing under his breath he reared back and gave the door a solid kick; the door fell with a thud and the sound of roaring flames met his ears. Once the flames had settled a little, Lance forced his way through the apartment, his eyes roaming for a familiar mop of black hair, and praying that he wouldn’t find Keith too late. _His room._ Immediately, Lance rushed towards Keith’s bedroom and shouted, “Keith! If you’re in there step back!”  
  
Lance didn’t wait for a reply before he swung the axe onto the door and door handle. When the door’s lock gave way, Lance quickly made his way into the room. His heart stopped when he saw Keith sprawled on the floor, unconscious and clutching his phone. Lance never moved so fast. He kneeled next to Keith and pulled the other man into his arms, giving him a gentle shake.  
  
“Keith! Keith, buddy I’m here now, please, wake up!” Lance pleaded to the pale boy in his arms. Lance felt his throat tighten when he realized Keith wasn’t breathing, the other’s head lolling limply to the side. Lance fought down the sob that threatened to come out and quickly placed Keith down and started chest compressions, his mind a muddled mess of sadness and fear. But he had to keep going, had to keep it together, Keith was relying on him and he refused to give up.  
  
Whipping off his protective helmet he lifted up Keith’s chin with shaky fingers and pinched his nose before breathing air into him. He repeated this for a good 3 minutes, each second that ticked by and Keith didn’t respond, Lance felt his resolve breaking. When he hit the five minute mark, he knew that he was crying, but that didn’t matter. Heaving, Lance tried again, pushing down on his chest before breathing into him again. A wave of relief washed over him when he felt Keith jerk and cough. Lance had never felt so relieved. He laughed, almost hysterically when he heard Keith heave for breath as he hugged Keith tightly. Tears of happiness flowed from Lance’s eyes.

“K-Keith…. Oh my god Keith, c-can you hear me? I’m here now, it’s okay, i-it’s going…” his breath hitched, but he continued. “It’s going to be okay y-you hear me? God Keith, you scared me so bad-- I thought- I thought I lost you…” Lance’s body shook with fresh tears threatening to spill, but he bit his lip and fought them back. This wasn’t the time, they needed to move. “I love you Keith-- G-God Keith I love you so much, s-so please, just hang on a l-little longer okay?” Lance mumbled desperately into Keith’s hair. 

 

\---

 

Everything was hazy and it was hot. Each breath he took was a struggle, and it his lungs burned with every inhale, but he could hear a familiar voice speaking. Was that...Lance?

“K-Keith…. Oh my god Keith, c-can you hear me? I’m here now, it’s okay, i-it’s going…it’s going to be okay y-you hear me?”

What was happening? Keith tried hard to remember. He came home, showered, and went to sleep. Then it was hot, and he couldn’t breathe because - because there was a fire. _A fire!_ Remembering this, he tried to open his eyes, turn his head, speak, anything - but his body refused to listen. He focused on Lance’s voice. It was desperate, and every shake that wracked the fireman’s body made his heart ache. But he was here, saving him; Lance had come to save him. Keith willed his body to work, to try and let Lance know he was awake, but he felt so exhausted. All he could do was strain his ears, and focus on Lance’s words. Keith felt his heart break when he felt warm tears drop onto his cheeks.

He felt himself being lifted, and something comforting and soft was pressed against his head.

“I love you Keith-- G-God Keith I love you so much, s-so please, just hang on a l-little longer okay?”

Keith felt his chest fill with an all encompassing warmth. It wasn’t the same fire that burnt his lungs and made it hard to breathe; but it was the familiar warm feeling that he had come to associate with Lance. Lance loved him? Lance loved him and he couldn’t respond back. He willed his body to move. He needed to somehow let Lance know he was awake, and that he could hear him. Let him know that he _had_ heard him. He opened his hazy violet eyes, and was met with the blurry image of Lance’s handsome face marred with soot and tears. Keith focused on his clear, ocean blue eyes, when even filled with worry and tears, were still beautiful. Keith found that he couldn’t help but feel that Lance, like his eyes, was like an oasis in a sea of flames. 

But before Keith could try to get a word out, Lance’s demeanor changed. The tears were replaced with determination, and the man grabbed something out of Keith’s line of sight. Something heavy was placed over his head, and he felt something being wrapped securely around him. After a second of confusion, he realized what Lance was doing. His mouth opened to try and protest, but he was only wracked with a coughing fit. He could feel the edges of his vision dimming, and he felt panic rise in his chest once again. _Lance is going to get hurt because of me, and there’s nothing I can do_. Keith tried to fight it, he really did, but he was too weak. He felt strong arms lift him, and the world faded once more.

 

\---

 

Lance collected Keith in his arms and hunched over the other man protectively. When he had heard the doctor breathe again, and saw a glimpse of violet eyes, Lance felt his world right itself again. It would be okay, he would get Keith out safely. He’d do whatever it takes. The fireman was well aware that giving your gear to civilians were strictly against protocol, but Lance didn’t care.

With Keith safely geared up and bound up in his arms he quickly made his way out of the apartment, ignoring the flames that licked at his now exposed torso and arms. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins and Lance was determined to get out. With much effort, Lance managed to get them out and back into the hallway with little trouble. Turning back towards the stairwell that he came from, he kicked the door open and was assaulted with smoke. Coughing, he pushed forward regardless of the burn that started to fill his lungs and stung his eyes. He crouched lower, to inhale less smoke and made his way down the stairwell. Just a few flights of stairs left and they’ll be relatively safe, and away from the danger zone.

Just when Lance thought they were going to get out of the stairwell safely, he heard a loud groan above him and he realized that the fire had ate up the structure of the stairs above him and that it was collapsing. Cursing, he tried to get out of the way but he wasn’t fast enough. Curling up protectively around Keith’s unconscious form, he braced for impact. 

The stairwell above them collapsed, and Lance bit back the shout of pain when debris and concrete rained down upon them. Every piece that hit him sent a new wave of pain through his body but he never let go. With his eyes shut tightly, Lance’s breaths were coming out in short pants, sweat and blood was dripping into his eyes and everything hurt. Taking a few seconds to let the debris settle, Lance glanced down at Keith in his arms and was relieved to find him seemingly unhurt. _Come on Lance, you can do this, you’re almost there._

 

It was starting to get warm in the little pocket of space Lance and Keith were now stuck in, and Lance knew he needed to move or the fire would catch up to them and it would be all over. Gritting his teeth, and ignoring his blurry vision dotted with black spots, he tried to stand. 

Pain ran up his spine and he cried out, bowing his head before shaking it in denial. No no no, they were so close, he just had to do this, get through this, save Keith. Swallowing saliva and blood in his dry mouth, he took another glance at Keith’s unconscious form and steeled himself. Taking a deep breath, he willed his body to move, pushing himself to his limit and stood. Dislodging the rocks from his back, he kicked the piece of concrete in their path and much to Lance’s relief it gave. With a loud _thud_ , the block fell and Lance leaped out from under the rubble before collapsing onto the ground. He shut his eyes as the rest of the debris caved in behind them, dust and smoke threatening to choke him, but they were safe from the fire. At least for now.  
  
With the last of his strength, he managed to painstakingly push himself up to lean his back against the wall. Keith was still clutched tightly in his shaking arms, but with the adrenaline that had been willing him to move draining away, he felt his vision darken and his arms go slack.

He knew that they weren’t safe yet, but he couldn’t get up. His back was in agony, and he couldn’t feel his arms, his head was woozy, throbbing in his skull and he could hardly breathe; His body was giving out on him. In the last bits of his consciousness, he heard a small crackle from his walkie talkie. Moving a shaky hand he clicked it, needing to ask for backup but he felt so tired. He needed to try though. Rasping through laboured breaths, Lance spoke in just above a whisper.“....N-...need….h-...hel...help...p-please, floor...t-twenty.” 

His hand fell from his walkie talkie, and Lance flicked his hazy blue eyes down at Keith’s unconscious form in his lap and his heart ached. He was relieved to see the other man’s chest still moving. He had saved Keith, yes, but for how long? His expression turned pained, realizing that he hadn’t succeeded. He hadn't saved Keith. They were in a stairwell, too close to the fire to be safe, and if no one came soon, it would only be a matter of time before the flames reached them. He could still hear the roaring flames just behind the fallen debris of the stairwell, and the smoke was so heavy Lance struggled to make out Keith's form in his lap. His blue eyes lingered on Keith laying limp in his lap, and he felt a lump not due to the smoke or fire form in his throat. _I’m sorry I couldn’t get you to safety, Keith. I’m sorry…please, just let him be okay._ Were his last thoughts before his already hazy vision blurred dangerously, and the world became black.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We hope you enjoyed this chapter! :3c  
> Thank you for reading and we hope you'll look forward to the next chapter!


	8. Hold On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Later update than we wanted ;0; but what better day to post a new update than on today?
> 
> Happy birthday Keith!!! <3

Hunk almost cried out of happiness when he heard his walkie talkie go off. Waiting, and and trying to reach Lance on the walkie talkie while getting nothing back was the longest 15 minutes of Hunk’s life. But as happy as Hunk was to hear his friend’s crackly voice finally respond over the device, Lance’s voice was so faint. Scarily so. The larger boy almost missed it entirely over the commotion of sirens and water. He had never heard his best friend sound so weak, and Hunk felt his stomach drop with dread.

When he tried to get Lance to respond again, he got nothing back. His anxiety level went through the roof, but Hunk knew he had to act fast if Lance had gotten into trouble. Quickly, the firefighter gathered a team of 3 men - including himself - and informed them that Lance was in there with a civilian, and that they needed help. On their long arduous way up the emergency steps, Hunk’s mind was providing him with the worst scenarios. Would he be too late? He prayed that both Lance and Keith were okay. He knew he should’ve went after Lance, and now he was regretting not going with his gut.  
  
The moment the firetruck stopped, Lance had bolted from the truck and into the apartment building with panic written all over his movements.

A big part of Hunk wanted to follow his friend then, but he wasn’t nearly as fast as Lance was. Hunk was best on the ground, he operated the fire truck with expertise and the other firefighters needed his help, so he had reluctantly decided to stay.  
  
But the bigger man didn’t have time to regret what he should and shouldn't have done now; they had to find Lance and Keith as soon as possible, he just hoped it wasn’t too late. The closer the team of firefighters got up towards the danger zone of the building, the more nauseous Hunk felt.

As soon they got up to the 21st floor stairwell, they were assaulted with smoke and heat, the fire had spread further than they thought. Hunk pushed past his teammates and through the thick smoke. His heart lurched when he saw two familiar figures slumped against the far wall, it was Lance and Keith, but neither of them were moving.

  
**\----**

 

There was a quiet beeping sound reverberating throughout the room. It was very familiar, but it was slowly getting on his nerves and Keith  _really_ wanted it to stop. Did he forget to turn off his alarm?

Opening his tired eyes to a slit, he could just barely make out the various shapes in the room which were outlined dimly with a faint green light. Oh. Was this a hospital room? What was he doing here?

Blinking a few times, he slowly began to recall what had happened.

There was a fire, and he was trapped in his room, and then….and then Lance was there, cradling him in his arms...and then...Lance!

Keith jerked up from his spot on the bed with a gasp. His body protested, and he barely managed to sit up before he fell back against the pillows again. His chest hurt, and his head was killing him. Closing his eyes, he took a few moments to recollect himself. Regaining his breath, he looked around the room a second time, his eyes settling on a blurry figure hunched over his bedside. Was that Shiro?

Being careful not to tug on the numerous wires and IV that were attached to him, he slowly moved his arm towards the figure and placed a shaky hand on the other man’s shoulder.

Feeling the sudden shifting on the bed and the touch on his shoulder, Shiro’s head snapped up. He looked horrible, his hair was a mess, sticking up in every direction, and the skin under his eyes were dark and tired.

“Keith! You’re finally awake!” He said, relief clear in his voice.

Keith nodded, feeling guikty that he had worried his brother like this. He wanted to give Shiro a few moments, he really did. But he couldn’t wait, he needed to know what happened to Lance.

What happened after he blacked out.  
  
“Y-Yeah...I’m fine. Wh-..what happened, where’s Lance?” Keith rasped.

Shiro visibly tensed up at Keith's question, clearly trying to hide his reaction, but doing a rather poor job. 

The happy and relieved expression Shiro had on his face fell. His thick brows were furrowed, but he quickly replied, not wanting Keith to overthink or misinterpret what his reaction meant.  
  
“He-...He’s safe, Keith. He’s in the room down the hall.” Shiro replied, his voice strained.

The older man was trying to hide Lance’s condition from his little brother, even if it was just for a short period of time. He knew it was naive, that it wouldn’t solve anything. Keith would find out eventually, no matter what he did - and of course, Keith deserved to know, he knew. But just the thought of seeing his brother’s reaction - especially right after going through such a traumatic experience and almost losing his life - was too much for him to bare.

Keith sighed in relief at Shiro’s initial words. _Lance was safe, that was good._

But then Keith realized that Shiro’s gaze refused to meet his own, and that the older man didn’t care to elaborate, and that made his short lived relief begin to grow into worry.

His brows furrowed, and his mouth felt dry. He was almost afraid to ask, but he needed to know.

“...Shiro, you said he’s safe, and that he’s just down the hall. But there’s something that you aren’t telling me...isn’t there?” Keith rasped, his voice just barely above a whisper, threatening to break. He could feel his heart thumping faster in his chest, anxiety filling his gut when Shiro seemed reluctant to answer.

Keith could feel the dread that had been building up ever since he woke peak. He needed to go see Lance.

Getting up from the bed shakily, he began removing all the equipment attached to him with a practiced hand, ignoring Shiro’s protests. Once everything was removed, Keith swung his legs over the bed to get up, only to be stopped by a firm hand on his chest pushing him back down.  
  
“Keith, please, you aren’t well enough to move around yet - I know you’re worried about Lance but-”  
  
“No Shiro, if you won’t tell me what happened and how he’s doing...th-then I’ll just have to go see him myself.” Keith retorted, brows furrowed in worry and his mouth pulled down into a thin line.  
  
“Keith- Listen to me-” Shiro said, trying to reason with his brother.  
  
Keith bolted for the door, not caring what Shiro had to say to him right now, but stumbled on weak knees as he made his way to the door; his body betraying him. Strong arms managed to stop him from hitting the cold hospital ground, but he struggled against Shiro’s hold. Keith tried to get out of his older brother's arms for a few arduous moments before giving up, realizing just how weak his whole body felt. After a few minutes of tense silence, Keith finally turned to Shiro with pleading violet eyes. He _needed_ to see Lance. 

Seeing the desperation on his brother’s face, Shiro finally relented, heaving a tired sigh as he steadied Keith and led him back towards his hospital bed.    
  
“Okay, alright, Keith, I understand. Just...let me grab a wheelchair for you, okay?” Shiro said with a small smile. It hadn’t been his intention to make Keith upset, he just didn’t know if having Keith see Lance right now would be a good idea. But he knew it wasn’t his place to decide.  
  
When Shiro returned, he carefully helped Keith into the chair before pushing him out of the door and down the hall.

Shiro wanted to tell Keith something, anything, to somehow reassure Keith - but he knew he wouldn’t be able to do it without giving his brother false hope, so he kept quiet.

Stopping in front of Lance’s door, the older man could feel his own chest tighten.

Hesitating, he gave Keith one last glance before pushing open the door and wheeling Keith towards the bed located in the corner of the room.

Keith could feel Shiro’s hesitation as he slowly pushed opened the door to Lance’s room. Taking a deep breath, Keith tried to calm his own spiralling thoughts as they entered.  
  
Nothing could have prepared Keith for what he saw. Lance was laid on the hospital bed, covered in bandages, IVs, and wires. What little of his usually healthy tan skin that was visible was now pale and sickly. The usually bright, larger than life Lance that Keith had come to know and love was nowhere to be seen. In his place was a man he could barely recognize, looking so small and fragile, resting in the too large hospital bed. Too still, and so quiet. Keith hated it.  
  
Keith fought back the tightening of his throat and the sting of tears that threatened to spill. A shaky hand covered his mouth as he bit back a choked sob, the image of Lance in such a state was too much for him to handle.  
  
Keith was almost afraid to touch him, afraid Lance would break or disappear. But with a shaking hand, he grasped Lance’s larger hand in his own.

The fireman’s calloused yet soft hand was cold, and limp. The contrast between the warmth that emanated from those same tanned hands only a few days ago at the cafe made Keith want to scream.

Even though their hands had only intertwined once, he never thought he would miss that warmth with such intensity. The thought of never being able to feel it again tore him apart.

Biting his lip, he gripped Lance’s hand like it was a lifeline with both of his own. His gaze moved from Lance’s hand up to the sleeping man’s face.

His usually soft brown locks were messy and clumped together from soot and grime. And despite not being able to see his eyes, Keith could see the crease in the other’s brow. He was probably in pain, and Keith felt his chest lurch. The last time Keith had seen Lance’s sleeping face, it was when he had the brunette in his arms on new year’s eve, he had looked so peaceful and relaxed then, and to think that he was hurting now right in front of him and there was nothing Keith could do to help.  
  
Keith could feel hot tears making its way down his cheeks, staining the bedsheets below, but he didn't attempt to stop them. Keith felt like his chest was going to burst, he felt so overwhelmed with emotion. Never had he felt so much before, and it hurt, it hurt so bad.

 A wave of fresh tears fell from his face as he recalled the words that he heard Lance say to him.

He’d said he loved him, Lance said _he loved him._

He had protected him, given him all of his gear, and Keith had been too weak to do or say anything, and now...and now he may never be able to tell Lance his feelings, or have the chance to convey how grateful he was for everything Lance had _given_ to him, everything that the fireman had _done_ for him.

He had given Keith so much; support, laughter, friendship, _love_.

Lance had become such a constant in Keith’s life without him even noticing, and now, the thought of losing him, losing everything that they had together was unbearable. A strangled sob escaped from his trembling form, and he gripped Lance’s hand tighter in his own. Almost as if holding on to the other's hand would somehow keep Lance there. 

  
After a few long moments of grief, Keith tried to catch his breath and recollect himself again. He felt so tired.

Even 24 hour shifts at the hospital was nothing in comparison the the deep tiredness that he felt in his chest now. A minute of deep breathing later, he finally managed to speak, albeit it only just above a whisper. But he knew that Shiro would hear him.

“Sh-Shiro…”  
  
The older man had been silent the entire time, stepping back to give Keith and Lance their space. He turned pained eyes towards the shaking back of his little brother, hearing him call for him.  
  
“Y-Yes Keith? I’m here.” Shiro said just as softly, almost as if raising his voice would break Keith’s fragile hold on himself.  
  
“...p-..please tell me h-he’ll be okay?...please.” Keith pleaded wetly. Tear filled violet eyes turning to face Shiro.  
  
Shiro felt his own throat tighten. Watching Lance and Keith like this hurt so much. He wished he could do more, do something to alleviate their pain, but there wasn’t - he had already done all that he could.

With a heavy heart, Shiro felt his nails digging into his palms, unable to meet his brother’s gaze.  
  
“Keith, you know...y-you know as well as I do that-” Shiro had to take a deep breath to steady his own voice. Both Lance and Keith needed him to be strong right now, he needed to keep it together.

“...That the chances of him making a full recovery are…” he trailed off, not having the heart to finish his sentence.

Keith turned away from Shiro, his gaze fixated on Lance as he spoke.  
  
“...I know. I know, Shiro. B-but I wish I didn’t know...I was hoping that s-somehow…” His breath hitched. “Th-that somehow...you would tell me something different.” Keith finished defeatedly, more tears making its way down his cheeks.  
  
Shiro closed his eyes, Keith’s words were painful to listen to. A part of him wanted to stay, but he knew there was nothing more he could do for either of them right now, and so, with a heavy heart, he turned to leave. Giving Keith one last glance, he exited the room and closed the door shut softly behind him.  
  
Muffled sobs were heard almost as soon as the door closed, and Shiro felt the control he had reigned in on his own emotions began to crumble. Looking up at the tiled ceiling, he felt his eyes prick with tears. Wiping a tired hand over his face, he willed his tears back, but that was when he noticed the soft sniffles coming from his right - Pidge was there, standing next to the door.  
  
Her amber eyes which were red and puffy with tears met his own, and Shiro knew that she had overheard everything. The older man moved to comfort her but she beat him to it, engulfing Shiro’s midsection in a tight hug and burying her face into his stomach.  
  
“Why Shiro...Why did this have to happen to them? I-It’s not fair.” She mumbled.

Hunching over and hugging her tighter, the tears that he had been trying to push back spilled. He could only manage a shaky reply, “I know Pidge, I know...It’s not fair.” _Life is never fair._

Shiro couldn’t manage to say anymore, but they both knew that they had to be strong. For each other, and for Lance and Keith.

 

\----

 

Shiro gave Keith space, allowing him to spend time with Lance. It had been almost 5 hours now since Keith woke up, and Shiro was becoming worried for his brother’s health. He was still recovering and he needed to rest, but he knew he wouldn't be able to separate them even if he wanted to, and he wasn’t planning to.

Within that time, he and Pidge had done everything they could to make sure that Keith would be able to stay by Lance’s side while he recovered. The last thing left to do was to move Keith’s bed and medical equipment into Lance’s room.

Approaching Lance’s hospital room, Shiro was relieved when he didn’t hear crying through the door. Opening the door carefully, he was met with the sight of Keith asleep, hunched over Lance’s bed, still holding onto the other’s hand with his own. Shiro’s heart ached - the sight was bittersweet, but a small smile still managed to make its way to his lips.  
  
Gesturing to Pidge who was peeking in from the door, Shiro moved to help her push Keith’s bed into the room before setting up the machines and IVs together. As she was setting up the equipment, she couldn’t help but sneak a glance at the sleeping pair. Holding back her tears, she told herself that she had to be strong for them. They needed support, and she was going to give them all the support she could give.

After she and Shiro finished setting up the equipment and bed, she gave the pair one last look before excusing herself from the room. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to stay away, or that she didn’t know what to say to Keith, but she knew that Keith was similar to her in certain ways; and she knew that if she was in Keith’s position, she would want as much space as possible, at least until she was ready. Giving Shiro an encouraging smile, she turned and left the room.  
  
Shiro sighed, running a hand through his hair. He debated on whether or not to wake Keith, but he decided against it. Although it pained him to separate them, he knew that Keith was still recovering and needed to rest properly in a bed where he wouldn't aggravate any of his injuries. So with a careful hand, he gingerly untangled their fingers, and carried his younger brother into his own bed.

Keith’s eyes were puffy, rims red and the area below his eyes were dark with fatigue. Shiro’s heart ached at the sight of him, knowing that he must have spent the entire night crying until he fell asleep next to Lance.

Once Shiro was finished making sure all the equipment and IVs were properly re-connected and reattached, he spent a long moment in silence, reflecting on all that had happened.

Shiro never considered himself a religious person, but he found himself praying to whatever being that was out there to let these two boys be alright. The older doctor wasn’t sure how much he could take. And just before his thoughts could go too deep, he quickly checked on both of their conditions before making a quiet exit and closing the door behind him.

 

\-----

 

Keith woke up tired. The faint beeping noise had doubled, and he wondered why that was. And despite the fact that he had slept, he didn’t really feel any better, hell, he was almost sure he felt worse. Slowly opening his sore eyes, he realized he was lying down on his back rather than hunched over Lance’s bed, and for a brief moment he thought he had dreamed up the part of him visiting Lance’s hospital bed.  
  
Almost hopeful that Lance being in critical condition and being potentially comatose was just a dream, he turned his head only to be disappointed yet relieved at the same time. His heart clenched as the pang of emotional anguish from last night came back to him. No, that hadn’t been a dream at all. He felt his throat tighten, but he pushed it back. At least his eyes were so sore from crying, that Keith felt like he probably wouldn’t be able to cry anymore.  
  
But as much as it pained him to see Lance like this, at least Lance was still there, next to him, and he was safe. Keith stared at him with a longing expression for a few moments, wishing they were closer so he could hold the other’s hand. But all the machinery was in the way and Keith didn’t feel like he had the energy to get up without falling flat on his face.  
  
Just as Keith was debating whether or not to try and get up and out of bed to get closer, the door on his left opened and Keith turned to see who it was.  
  
Shiro and Keith’s eyes locked, and both brothers felt a bit of awkwardness permeate the room due to yesterday’s events. Shiro was the first to break the silence however, giving Keith a small smile.  
  
“Good morning Keith, how are you feeling? I brought you breakfast, I’m sure you must be hungry.” The older man said, trying his best to lighten up the mood.

 It took a moment for Keith to reply, his body still aching and his head throbbing making him a bit little disoriented. “Uh..yeah I’m..I’m okay...food would be nice.” To be honest he had no appetite at all, but he couldn’t remember the last time he had eaten and now that he was calmer, the hunger was starting to make itself known.  

Helping Keith sit up by inclining the bed, Shiro placed the tray of food onto the flip out table on the side of the bed before sitting down next to Keith’s bed. Keith hesitated, but the gnawing hunger in his stomach made him pick up the fork and start eating the scrambled eggs and bacon on the plate. But after a few bites of food, his eyes wandered back to Lance and he felt another tug of disappointment hit him. Lance must be starving too, had he been fed yet?  
  
“Shiro...has Lance been fed yet? I know it’s automatic but, maybe make sure it’s working?” Keith asked, wishing he wasn’t stuck in bed so he could take care of Lance himself.  
  
Shiro gave Keith a nod. “Yeah he was fed an hour ago, I made sure that everything went well and that the feeding tube is working properly.” He informed him.  
  
Keith could only nod before shoving more food into his mouth. This was the first time Keith had ever felt like it was too quiet. He was the type of person to enjoy alone time, but having Lance so close but so quiet felt so wrong. Keith didn’t know what to feel anymore. He just wanted Lance to wake up.  
  
Shiro gave Keith some time to eat, going over to check on Lance once again just to reassure himself and Keith that everything was working properly and double checking that the fireman's condition was still stable.

Once he returned to sit next to Keith’s bed once more, a long silence stretched between them. Shiro took the time to watch his little brother carefully, he could tell that Keith was deep in his own thoughts and his sad demeanor was beginning to concern him.

“Keith?”  
  
Keith snapped out of his thoughts to face Shiro with a confused expression.  
  
“...Yeah?”  
  
Shiro searched for the right words to use, but nothing seemed to sound right. Deciding that being honest was probably the best approach he spoke.  
  
“Do you want to…talk?”  
  
Keith immediately stiffened turning away from Shiro and shaking his head. Grabbing the coffee he sipped it, trying to distract himself from the conversation.

“No...not really.” he replied. 

"....are you sure? I’m here to listen if there’s anything you want to just… talk about."

“There’s nothing to talk about, Shiro.”

"Hm...alright." The two sat in silence again, the soft beeping of both heart monitors and machines the only sounds echoing through the room.

Keith bit his lip, a part of him wanting to confide in Shiro, but he felt like such a jumbled mess. He had no idea what to say or where to start. He wanted Lance to be okay more than anything, but Shiro already knew that, and his brother also knew how much Lance meant to him, so what was there to say?

Keith furrowed his brows, his gaze landing on Lance’s prone form, and remembering the last words Lance had said to him, the overwhelming wave of emotions from last night resurfaced.

Taking a shaky breath, Keith spoke, his eyes glued to the half eaten food on his plate.

  
“Lance...he said some things to me...when he saved me.” He began, his voice still raspy but he didn’t stop.  

At the sound of Keith’s voice breaking the silence, Shiro turned to face him, but said nothing as he waited for him to continue.

Keith took another shaky breath, his hands balling into fiats as he gripped onto the sheets in his lap.  
  
“H-He...he said he-he said he loved me.” he mumbled, just above a whisper.

“ ...and - and even though I heard him I couldn’t say anything or do anything- I couldn’t do anything!” He said, his voice breaking and getting louder as his anger and frustration in that moment came back full force, tears that he thought he ran out of beginning to threaten to spill over.  

  
“D-Dammit Shiro, he’s- he saved my life by putting himself at risk, and he’s like this now because of me! H-how am I going to live with myself if he never wakes up?!” He nearly shouted, turning his head to face Shiro with desperation in his eyes.

“God dammit Shiro- H-He loves me! He fucking loves me and now I...I might never get the chance to tell him..to tell him h-how I feel.” Keith croaked, the fear and despair clear in his voice as sobs started to wrack his frame. It was like a dam had been opened and once it broke he couldn’t stop it.  

Shiro was stunned.

It wasn’t that he didn’t know how much Lance meant to Keith, but hearing Keith retell the events, made his heart ache.

Not only had Lance had done everything he could to save Keith, but Lance had confessed to him, and now he was in critical condition without knowing when or if he would ever make a full recovery.

Shiro knew how much Keith was hurting, but knowing that something so crucial had been exchanged between them during the incident made it that much worse. 

Shiro closed his eyes sombrely, and enveloped his little brother into his arms, hugging him tightly.  
  
“I’m sorry Keith, I’m so sorry…” Shiro said, his own voice wavering with emotion while he rubbed his brother’s back. Keith shook his head, more tears dripping down his cheeks and soaking into his brother's shirt, but he clung to his brother anyway, grateful he was there.

“It’s going to be okay Keith, this is Lance we’re talking about...you know he’s a fighter, he’ll pull through. If anyone can do it, it would be him..it’s going to be okay.”

The two hugged in silence for a little longer, taking comfort in each other’s presence. 

Keith desperately hoped that Shiro’s words were true, because he wasn't sure how long he could hold on. How long he would last in a world where Lance wasn't there to make it brighter. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We hope you enjoyed the chapter ;; u ;;;; 
> 
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> we'resorryforthesadchapters


	9. Heartbeat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE'RE SORRY FOR THE SILENCE BUT WE'RE BACK WITH DOUBLE CHAPTERS AS AN APOLOGY  
> Thank you for not giving up this fic, we hope you enjoy! :3c

“Remember, take two pills in the morning and two at night after you eat something alright?”   
  
“Yes, I will try my best to remember, thank you Dr. Kogane.”   
  
“Make sure to contact me or the hospital immediately if you feel any ill side effects, I wish you the best, Miss Romelle.”   
  
“Allura sure wasn’t kidding when she said she had a friend who was a very hard working doctor, I really appreciate all the work that you have done for me and my family.”   
  
Keith had to blink hard for a moment, having almost missed everything his patient had just said to him. He hated to admit that that was becoming an awful habit as of late, but he quickly brushed it aside. With a forced quirk of his lips, hoping that he hadn’t stayed quiet for too long he responded evenly.   
  
“That’s very kind of you, thank you. I’m glad I could help.”

 

Romelle seemed to catch the action but doesn’t comment on it. Although, that didn’t stop the concern she felt while looking at her doctor who looked worse for wear.   
  
In the short few weeks she had known Dr.Kogane, even though he was efficient and professional, he always carried an air of tiredness around him. She wasn’t sure if that was just a normal thing for the doctor - or if maybe something was bothering him - but she sincerely hoped that whatever it was, that it would be resolved soon, for he seemed very troubled. And while she did not know him very well, she could tell that he had a kind heart and truly hoped that things would get better for him.   
  
“You’ve done more than any words could express.”   
  
Romelle stood, gathering her medication and personal belongings as she headed out of the door. Keith watched as Romelle left, closing the door behind her, but looks up when he doesn’t hear the click of the door closing fully.   
  
“And Doctor, please take care as well.” She said with a small smile before the door was gently closed.

  
Keith sat in his office chair for a moment, staring at the empty space Romelle had left and sighed. Running a hand through his unruly hair, he tiredly closed his eyes. Shit, he knew he felt crappy but he had hoped that he didn’t look nearly as bad as he had felt.   
  
Keith scoffed humorlessly. So much for that. But he couldn’t help but work himself to the bone - it was a good distraction from his own thoughts. As if on queue, thoughts of Lance comatose on the hospital bed floods his mind. Gritting his teeth, he stood, grabbing the mug on his messy desk to get more coffee. He couldn’t sit still. Having time to himself meant more time fretting over Lance; and while Keith had never had any problems with thoughts of Lance, it had never hurt to think of him before as it did now.   
  
The lively, excitable and happy Lance he has come to love, now replaced with the image of the still, quiet and fragile looking version of him, laying on crisp white sheets. And there was nothing he could do about it.   
  
Keith quickly stopped his train of thoughts as he approached the coffee machine, cursing lowly when he saw the small trickle of blood trailing down one of his fingers. He had cracked his mug in his spiral of dismal thoughts. A network of spider web-shaped cracks originating from his thumb and palm now decorated the once smooth cup. Sighing again, he released his death grip on the porcelain and made quick work of disposing of the broken mug. He quickly grabbed a new one from the cupboard above the machine, filling it to the brim with black coffee.   
  
He sipped at the familiar hot liquid, feeling it burn pleasantly on the way down. It eased his jitters a bit, but it did little to ease the ache in his head or in his heart. Glancing at the clock mounted on the far wall of the cafeteria, he quickly made his way to his next patient. He would check on Lance later like he always did. But for now, he had a full schedule and had no plans on taking any breaks anytime soon. Refilling his already half-emptied mug, he made his way towards the patient’s ward once again.

 

\---

  
  
Pidge watched Keith in the corner of her eye as he left the cafeteria. She couldn’t help the sigh that escaped her. Keith hadn’t been the same ever since he woke up from the fire incident.   
  
Given, she wasn’t either - no one is the same while Lance is in a coma, but Keith is on a whole new level of his own. And while Pidge understood why Keith was so upset, she couldn’t stand watching one of her best friends literally run himself into the ground.   
  
Keith was always a workaholic, don’t get her wrong, he was truly passionate and took pride in his work but now, he seemed to just...drown himself in it. The doctor looked like death warmed over, and he wasn’t even sick. But what could she do? She was a lot like Keith in certain ways, she knew how he must be feeling. He wouldn’t want to talk, and she wasn’t a big talker either. Pidge knew she was articulate, sure, but she knew that she wasn’t good with words. Especially when it came to sensitive topics and anything that involved talking about ‘feelings’. She just wasn’t equipped with that, not like Lance was. But that didn’t mean she should just not...do anything, right? Something had to be done. She’s seen how Shiro kept giving his little brother worried glances everytime they crossed paths, and yet she had a sinking feeling that the older doctor also hasn’t said anything to Keith yet.   
  
Pidge worried at her lip, flicking the pen in her hand in thought as she scrolled through the minimal contacts on her cell phone. Pausing on a name, she stared at it thoughtfully before clicking the call button. It wouldn’t hurt to try right? Anything was better than whatever the hell Keith was doing right now. She knew that someone had to try something, even if that person wasn’t going to directly be her. She hoped it would help. For both Keith’s sake and for her own sake. One friend being out of commission was bad enough, and she had no intention to allow more to follow.   
  
“Hey...yeah, can you come in tomorrow?”   


 

\--- Later That Evening ---

 

  
Keith sighed refilling his mug for the umpteenth time that day. He honestly had no idea how many cups he’d had, but he didn’t care. As long as it gave him the energy to keep going, and avoid sleep as much as possible, he would drink it. Sleep only meant dreams, and dreams meant reliving the night of the horrible apartment fire over and over again.

 

Sometimes Lance would just... _die_ in front of him, watery blue eyes full of worry engulfed in a sea of angry flames, while the last words Keith hears from him is so soft, so distant and broken. But he still hears it clearly, “I love you.”   
  
Other times, he’s forced to watch as Lance dies in his hospital bed while he is powerless to do anything. He would wake up screaming, his clothes and hair matted and covered in cold sweat, body shaking. And every time that happened, he would find himself seeking out Lance’s patient room just to reassure himself that his dreams were just that - dreams. And not some sick and twisted reality.

He was glad Shiro and everyone had been giving him ample space as of late. He really was not in the mood for any lectures or berating. Keith felt like he was coping the best way he could, and while the others might not agree with his methods, it’s been working just fine for him.

Without even realizing it, his feet stopped in front of an all too familiar door. Hesitating only a moment, his hand resting on the cold metal, he pushed the handle down, carefully entering the room. It was eerily quiet, except for the low hum of machines and the regular beeps of a heart monitor. He felt a wave of both relief and sadness wash over him as his violet eyes laid upon the limp body of the man who saved his life.   
  
Walking the last few steps towards Lance’s bedside, he took a seat, his whole body sagging into the chair with fatigue as he clasped his own warm hands onto Lance’s cold ones. Frowning a little, Keith used his other hand as well to try and offer Lance some of his warmth, rubbing a gentle thumb over the back of the fireman's hand. It was oddly smooth compared to his palms which were rougher and more colloused, probably due to his line of work. Keith felt a small tug at his lips at that, remembering how Lance was always got worked up about his looks, despite him looking more than perfect on every occasion that they had met.     
  
The small smile was short-lived, however, as his tired eyes trailed up those strong arms and onto Lance’s peaceful face. Despite him looking relaxed, he could still see the tiredness in the other man’s face. His body was still recovering, and he had a long way to go still to make a full recovery, but that was something he could help with. Keith just wished he could see those ocean blue eyes once again. It feels like it’s been forever since he last saw them, and he missed them so much. Lance’s eyes were always expressive, just like him. When he was happy, there was always a spark of baby blue full of mirth and excitement. When he was fond, it took on a softer, deeper blue that Keith had only recently come to notice. And god, what Keith would give to see them again.   
  
Feeling the familiar lump forming in his throat, he took a deep, shuddering breath and closed his eyes in an attempt to calm down the sudden onslaught of emotions. He didn’t want to cry anymore. Seeing Lance every night in his comatose state was both a relief, but also a cruel curse. Lance’s presence helped settle his mind, but it also threw it into a chaotic storm of  “what if’s”.   
  
Taking another deep breath, timing his breaths to be in sync with Lance’s, he finally manages to calm down. Grounding himself with Lance’s calloused palm in his own, he opened his eyes again. The feeling of grief giving way just for a little bit as he began to speak.   
  
“Hey Lance.”   
  
Keith paused, his voice soft and just about a whisper. He never knew what to really say, but kept pushing on anyway. Knowing that Lance had always hated silence, Keith was eager to fill it - even if Lance couldn’t hear him. This had become a nightly routine of his, despite it being awkward, Keith always felt better afterwards.   
  
Moving one of his hands from Lance’s, Keith brushed back some of the firefighter’s unruly yet surprisingly soft brown locks before continuing.   
  
“Romelle got released today. I’m sure Allura would be happy to hear that her cousin made a full recovery. I think you and her might get along, she had no problems basically telling me I looked like shit.”   
  
He scoffed a little at that, knowing Lance would never fail to call people on their bullshit when they lied about their own well being. And Keith had been on the receiving end of Lance’s admonishing more than he could count, so he would know.

“If you saw me now, you would probably tell me the same thing, wouldn’t you?”  
  
The doctor said fondly, the hand brushing brown locks back now moving to tuck the strands softly behind the man’s ear.   
  
“You can call me all the names you want - just this once, I’ll give you a pass.”

 

He continued, realizing how much he missed Lance’s voice. The happy and high pitched tones when he got excited, the teasing lilt he had when he was scheming things, the soft dip of concern when he was worried, and the crack in his voice when he told him that he — Keith had to stop himself again. He wasn’t going to think back to that moment again, not now.   
  
Closing his eyes once more, he tried to relax into the uncomfortable hospital chair. While having Lance in a coma was heartbreaking, Keith took this moment to just appreciate the fact that Lance was still here with him. He could feel the fireman’s hand in his own, now warmed up by his own hand, the weight was comforting. He could also see the small but reassuring rise and fall of his breaths, and for now, Keith decided that that would have to be enough.   
  
Before Keith could get too comfortable and doze off in the chair, he stood abruptly, albeit reluctantly. He had no intention of falling asleep, deciding he should probably take his leave. He let go of Lance’s hand, but not before tucking said hand back into the sheets with a tenderness Keith didn’t know he possessed.

 

Deciding he had spent enough time just watching Lance, he moved towards the machines to give the fireman his routine checkup. The doctor checked his vitals, his blood pressure, and refilled the IV with fluids. When Keith deemed him stable and properly taken care of, he quickly scribbled down all of the information onto the clipboard at the end of the bed before reluctantly making his way towards the door. Giving Lance one last longing glance, he put his hand on the handle. The door opened with a small creak as he stepped out of the room.   
  
But before the door could click closed, an alarming ring filled Keith’s ears; and Keith felt his stomach drop.   
  
Quickly, he whipped around, eyes wide with horror as his mind registered what that noise meant.

 

_The tone of a flatline._

 

_No no_ _no_ , it can’t be, he had just checked on him!  
  
His heart hammered in his chest wildly as he sprinted back into the room, frantically double checking the monitors and wires, praying it was just some sort of mechanical error, but they were still attached.

 

_Lance’s heart had stopped._

 

He could barely hear the alarm still blaring over the deafening pounding of his own heart. With shaky hands he lunged for the emergency button, slamming it down before immediately starting chest compressions. Keith’s panicked violet eyes watered as he watched Lance’s limp form. He was slipping away from him again.

  
_No, no, no! This can’t be happening, Lance, please_...

  
His movements became desperate when Lance’s body remained unresponsive. Despite his shaking arms, he continued the chest compressions, tears now streaming down his face and blurring his vision. But he wouldn’t give up - _he couldn’t_ . This couldn’t be real. Was this one of his dreams? It had to be, right?? He prayed with everything he had that it was. That this was just some sick joke.   
  
But when he felt more than heard a sob escape his throat he knew. _This wasn’t a fucking dream_ — Lance was actually dying in his arms. Shaking his head, he continued CPR, having no intention of stopping.   
  
Keith heard shouting then. He couldn’t tell if it was himself or someone else. But next thing he knew, he felt strong arms pull him back, away from Lance. He fought whoever it was.

_He had to save him! He had no time!_

“Keith! Keith, please, it’s me, Shiro - it’s okay, let us help!”   
  
Through the haze of his own panic and tears, he finally registered who the gruff voice and strong arms belonged to and felt his whole body sag. Keith saw more than felt himself sink onto the floor, using his shaking hands and knees to support him himself.   
  
Shiro, while wanting to comfort Keith had no time to waste, moved the defibrillator unit he and his team had brought in to try and jumpstart Lance’s heart again.

_“Three, two, one. Clear!”_   
  
A jolt, and then silence. Again.

_“Three, two, one. Clear!”_

Another jolt, and again nothing but silence.

Shiro grit his teeth - he wasn’t going to give up!

 

_Please…_

 

Keith begged whatever deity that was out there that this was all just a nightmare.  
  
_“Three, two, one. Clear!”_   
  
More silence, and Keith didn’t know if he could take it anymore.

 

_A beep._

 

And then another.

 

“He-He’s back, quickly, stabilize his heartbeat!” Shiro ordered, relief flooding his veins as the beeping picked up speed again, slowly but surely into a rhythm once more.   
  
Keith felt a bubble of hysteria escape his lips when he heard Shiro’s words. The familiar beeps were back, and Keith felt his whole world right itself again. Lance was okay, he was still alive.

 

_Lance is still alive._

 

Keith barely heard anything after that, his whole body felt numb. Everything was a blur of commotion until a firm hand rested firmly on his shoulder. Looking up through his unruly bangs, he saw Shiro’s worried expression. He hadn’t realized he had been sitting on the floor until now. Shakily, he moved to get up; he wanted to be helpful, to do _something_ , but felt himself being pulled into a tight hug instead.  
  
“It’s okay Keith, he’s fine, he’s stable again. You kept him going until we got here, you did a good job.”   
  
A humourless scoff escaped him, but he doesn’t comment further, not having the words or strength to respond. He was just relieved that Lance was okay. The beep of the machine was slowly returning to a more regular rhythm and Keith could only nod into Shiro’s hug, his arms feeling too weak to return the gesture.   
  
“Hey kiddo, get some rest. I’ll keep watch on him okay?”   
  
Keith tensed at the notion of leaving Lance. He wanted to tell Shiro that he could do it, that he can’t leave Lance alone after that episode - he shook his head.   
  
Shiro sighed, closing his own eyes. That had scared him just as much as it did Keith, he was just grateful that they made it in time. Shiro knew Keith needed rest, he had been pushing himself way too hard, but he did not have to heart to berate his little brother when he was already so emotionally devastated. Deciding that letting Keith do what was the most comfortable for him was best, he responded,  
  
“I’ll set up a bed for you in here then, okay?”   
  
Keith could only nod tiredly before accepting the hand Shiro gave him.   
  
Standing up on wobbly legs, he made his way back to Lance’s bedside, putting shaky fingers to the fireman’s tanned neck just to double check before sighing again in relief at the feeling of quick, but definitely present, pulses. Leaning down, he rested his own clammy forehead against Lance’s, taking in the feeling of his breaths gently hitting his face, a surefire sign that yes, _he was okay_ , before he finally stood back up again.   
  
Too close. That had been too close. That’s twice now, and Keith didn’t know if he could take almost losing Lance a third time.   
  
The rest of the night was a blur. Keith vaguely remembered himself laying in a spare bed next to Lance’s, just watching the other man’s vitals to reassure himself that yes, Lance was alive, before he eventually succumbed to his exhaustion. The sound of Lance’s heart monitor lulling him to sleep.


	10. Heart-to-Heart

“Buddy?”   
  
Keith groaned, his brows scrunching up in annoyance as his sleep was disturbed.   
  
“Keith, buddy? Sorry to wake you, but it’s like 4pm in the afternoon, and you haven't eaten breakfast or lunch, and it’s like almost dinner? And like, I’m assuming you haven’t eaten dinner the day before either, so it’s been like over 24 hours where you’ve had no food, and while sleep is good for you too, food is-”   
  
“What--? Hunk??”   
  
Keith rasped, finally registering who was rambling to him, and reluctantly blinked open his bleary eyes to see a very close - too close - Hunk in his face. He would’ve jumped if he wasn’t too tired to even do that. Closing his eyes tiredly, he tried to pick through the words the other fireman had just said.   
  
“Oh...It’s four already? ...Shit!”   
  
Knowing he had missed at least twenty of his appointments if it was 4pm, he shot up off the bed only to wince in pain. His head was throbbing and he felt kind of nauseous. Why the hell had he woken up so late? Where was he and why was Hunk here to wake him up?

All of last night’s events hit him like a ton of bricks, and he quickly whipped his head to the side, looking past Hunk and towards Lance’s bed before sighing in relief. He felt his heart skip a beat in panic before slowing back down. That’s right, last night was...and he fell asleep in Lance’s room.   
  
“Uh...Keith?”   
  
Keith blinked snapping out of his trance. Seeing the nervous look Hunk was giving him and the worried glance he gave Lance’s prone form. Keith decided that Hunk didn’t need to know about last night’s events. It would only do more harm than good.

The doctor finally sat up in his bed, knowing it would be best to say something and not just stare off into the distance.

“Y-Yeah. Uh, Hunk...Are you here to visit Lance?”   
  
“Oh! Um, yeah, I - uh, yes. Of course I am,”

Keith raised a thick brow at Hunk’s nervousness, wondering why he was acting so oddly nervous. It wasn’t a surprise at all to see Hunk coming to visit Lance, so why the fumbling? But before Keith’s thoughts could continue, the larger fireman kept speaking.  
  
“-but I’m also here to visit you, I brought food and well…”   
  
Hunk gave Lance a sad glance before smiling sheepishly at Keith.   
  
“It would be a waste if no one ate it, and you’re probably starving so...want some while it’s still hot?”

 

Keith finally noticed the large bag in Hunk’s arms. Whatever Hunk made was probably amazing, but he really had no appetite at the moment. He felt nauseous just at the mention of food, and he really wanted his coffee fix more than anything. Caffeine withdrawal was probably partly to blame for his headache anyway. And while Keith normally would never refuse Hunk’s food, the thought of eating some of Lance’s favourite things while he was comatose made his stomach do flips. It just felt wrong.   
  
But before Keith could tell Hunk he wasn’t hungry, Hunk’s expression stopped him. Keith frowned, wondering what was going on.   
  
“Before you say no, Keith - I just wanted to say that we’re all very worried about you. I know you’re going through a very hard time, but we just ask that you take care of yourself a bit more.”   
  
Keith was taken aback.   
  
“...we?”   
  
He asked dumbly, feeling like his brain was only working at barely a quarter of its usual capacity. Hunk only chuckled good-naturedly.   
  
“Yes, ‘we’ - Pidge was worried and called me to come see you. Not that I wouldn’t come to see you and Lance without being asked to, but she was worried about you - don't tell her I said that. We all are, worried that is. I’m sure Shiro is too. And while we all feel like something is missing while Lance is out of sorts, you know that out of everyone, he would be the one to scold you the most.”   
  
Hunk said with a hand on his hip, very successfully copying Lance’s trademark stance when he admonished others for doing dumb things.   
  
Keith blinked again, trying to take everything Hunk was saying to him before snorting at the Lance-like display, not really sure how to take all of the information being directed towards him. He felt a little bad that Pidge somehow felt like she couldn’t talk to him alone, but he supposed they were both bad at this kind of stuff and felt a small but genuine smile tug at his lips.   
  
“Yeah, I guess so.”   
  
The reminder of Lance always made him smile, but then he would remember last night and his smile was gone again before it had time to even register.   
  
“I get what you’re saying Hunk, and I appreciate it, all of you. I just...I’m trying to cope my own way, I guess. I don’t know.”   
  
He finished lamely, wincing at his own inadequacy with words.   
  
“I know buddy, I get it, trust me. I’ve been where you are before. Remember when you first met Lance?”   
  
Keith had to wrack his tired brain for a moment before he remembered that Lance’s first coma incident was what made them meet in the first place. It was ironic really. His coma brought them together but now it threatened to take Lance away from him.   
  
Hunk, seeing the thoughts rush through Keith quickly backtracked, waving his arms a little frantically, hoping he hadn’t said something to upset Keith further, he quickly interjected.   
  
“What I mean is, I’ve had to worry about him before, and I know how scary it can be but, he will pull through. Just like last time.”   
  
The doctor looked up at the other fireman. Warm, honey brown eyes meeting tired, violet ones. Keith huffed a small laugh, hoping that Hunk was right even though a small part of him was scared that he wouldn’t. Last night’s incident was still fresh in his mind, but he tried his best to push it aside for now.   
  
“Yeah, you’re right.”   
  
They both stood there for a moment in awkward silence before Hunk broke it again, albeit quietly.   
  
“So... Does that mean you’re going to eat now? And get some more rest? And sleep more? And take care of yourself so that none of us have to-”   
  
“Woah woah there Hunk, slow down. I...I’ll try my best but I can’t promise. I don’t want to make any promises I can’t keep but… but I’ll try. And, uh, maybe I’ll eat a little later. I’m feeling a bit nauseous right now.”   
  
Hunk stopped his rambling and listened to Keith carefully before letting out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. He wasn’t sure if Keith was just saying what he was saying to appease him, but Hunk felt like he had gotten _something_ through to the doctor somehow,  judging by his tone. And although it wasn’t the best result he could hope for, he decided it was better than nothing. Putting his hands up placatingly, the fireman responded with an approving nod.   
  
“Okay, I’ll accept that for now.”   
  
He said with a grin before placing the heavy bag of food in Keith’s lap. Keith made a very graceful “omph” before Hunk decided he should probably give the doctor some space. Keith gave Hunk another grateful smile as he watched the bigger man make his way towards the door. But before the fireman could turn the handle, he turned back to Keith, feeling like he should say one last thing before he left in the hopes that their talk wouldn’t be in vein.   
  
“And Keith? When in doubt, just think about what Lance would say.”   
  
Hunk said with a small smile before making his exit, waving at Keith as he did so.

 

Keith sat there for a very long moment, trying to process everything that transpired in the past ten minutes. Rubbing his tired eyes he decided that doing some of the things Hunk suggested wouldn’t hurt, especially since he missed most of his appointments already. Shit, he had to ask Shiro about those. Setting aside the big bag of food, Keith moved to get up before he caught sight of Lance’s form again, sleeping soundly in his bed.   
  
Keith paused, just taking a few moments to appreciate the rise and fall of Lance’s chest before he stared down into his own hands, mulling over the things Hunk had said again.   
  
_“When in doubt... think about what Lance would say huh?”_   
  
Fishing his phone out of his pant pocket, Keith found himself scrolling though his handful of contacts, his finger hovering over Lance’s name. A pang of sadness hit him then, realizing he hadn’t really used his phone at all ever since the incident. He used to look forward to Lance’s text everyday but now…   
  
Keith shook his head. And before he could think too much, he jammed his thumb onto the contact name. Lance’s chat window immediately popped up and he carefully scrolled up, not wanting to see the very last texts he had sent Lance. He knew full well they were texts of him asking Lance for help from the fire. He wasn’t in the mood to look at those. Pausing aimlessly while scrolling up, he came across a familiar conversation.

 

Dec.25 10:19PM [From Lance ♡]:

Okay sounds good! Are you still at the hospital? You should really take a little break D:

I’m having a late dinner with Hunk right now, we’ll be heading to my mama’s house soon~ What are you up to?

 

Keith smiled softly at the text, rereading it a few times before remembering it was one of the first few texts he had ever gotten from Lance. Scrolling down a bit more, he read another.

 

Feb 13 6:09PM [From Lance ♡]:

Hey Keith! It was great seeing you at the Blade of Marmora again today, I had a lot of fun :3 I hope you did too! Also um… I hope you won’t get mad about this but - I mean you looked great today as usual just - you seemed really tired and I wanted to make sure everything was okay? You don’t have to tell me just, get some rest okay? Your skin will thank you for it ;)

 

Keith snorted after reading the last text. He remembered how he had stared at the mirror for hours after that text, wondering if he really looked that bad? Did Lance not like how he looked? Shiro had to convince him that it was fine, complaining about how their dinner was getting cold and that he should just listen to both him _and_ Lance to sleep more. He had rolled his eyes at that but did find himself unconsciously sleeping a little more during his breaks just in case. He shook his head and let out a small chuckle; the things that Lance made him do.   
  
He felt his chest feel warmer than it had in a long time. It was as if just reading Lance’s texts made it feel like he was really there. It was soothing, familiar. And Keith glanced up at the sleeping figure across from him with a fond smile. Even in a coma, he was able to make Keith feel better. That man really is something else.   
  
Deciding to read one more, he carefully scrolled down a bit more from the last text.

 

Mar 20 8:41PM [From Lance ♡]:

You are very welcome~ > 3 < you better get some rest and food soon though!

 

Keith’s thumb paused, reading over the message again and feels his heartache. It was one of the last messages Lance had sent him before he fell asleep that night. The night of the fire. Closing his eyes for a few moments in thought, he opened them again. 

Hunk was right. Out of everyone, Lance would be the most disappointed in him if he saw what he was doing to himself now. Taking a deep breath, he ran a tired hand through his bangs before glancing over at the bag of food Hunk left. Realizing that his nausea had died down some in his reverie, he decided that some food first would be good.

While Keith shovelled the food into his mouth, finally realizing how hungry he actually was, he was reminded of how good Hunk’s cooking was and to thank the man later. Lance always praised his best friend’s cooking and Keith had to agree, it was always amazing. After finishing what he could, he carefully put the bag of food on the table by the far wall, deciding he would finish the food later. Feeling more awake and revitalized, Keith made his way towards Lance’s bed, wanting to give him a quick checkup before he went for some coffee and a quick shower. 

After last night’s nightmare, Keith was just grateful that Lance’s vitals were stable again and he seemed as comfortable as he could be, given the circumstances. Moving to triple check the equipment after his initial look, he couldn’t help but admire the fireman’s sleeping face. He felt a strong urge to give Lance a peck on the forehead, but decided against it. It felt like this was some weird invasion of privacy. He would have to...ask Lance about it later or well - at least have his consent? Okay, he really needed his damn coffee.   
  
Fighting down a blush at his own embarrassment, he gave Lance one last fond look before making his way out of the door, taking care to close it quietly. He hadn’t felt like this since the incident, it was nice to get a good night’s sleep and some proper food. It wasn’t that Keith didn’t know, he was a doctor for god’s sake. But he had just been so stuck in his own head, spiralling in negative thoughts that it had been impossible for him to get out of. As he mulled over his own stupidity, he made his way towards the front desk, hoping to find Shiro there so he could ask about his missed patients, but was interrupted when he heard a commotion at the automatic doors at the front of the hospital lobby.   
  
Wondering if something had happened, he glanced towards the double doors to see both Hunk and Pidge being greeted by a middle-aged woman. She looked familiar yet Keith was unable to recall exactly who she was. It wasn’t until the woman’s eyes locked onto his did he remember.

It was Lance’s mother, his family was here to visit him. Although Keith had met Lance’s mother and members of his family on multiple occasions before, he never had the opportunity to speak to them outside of professional matters and updating them on Lance’s medical condition.

Now, however, after getting to know Lance, Keith was almost afraid to speak with them. It wasn’t that Lance’s family was anything short of compassionate and loving, Keith was sure - it was more of his self-guilt that ate him up inside. Lance was hurt trying to save him, and he was dreading the idea of having to tell them any news that was short of Lance making a full recovery and being able to go home with them soon.

Lance’s mother, however, had no such qualms. Quickly moving to give Keith a tired but genuine smile. Keith almost froze in place, opening his mouth and closing it again as if he forgot how to speak. Lance’s mother only laughed softly at that.   
  
“Hello Dr.Kogane, it is nice to see you again. Thank you so much for taking care of my son while we were too busy to come visit. It’s been rather hard to juggle work and taking care of the kids, but I’m glad I was able to make it today. How is he doing? I hope his condition hasn’t gotten any worse?”

Keith could feel his mouth go dry, remembering that Lance’s heart had stopped last night. But seeing Lance’s mother’s open expression, ready to accept whatever Keith told her, he decided against telling her. He was definitely breaking some of his personal rules. He would never hide any medical issues from his patient’s family members, but Keith didn’t have the heart to tell her about the incident. 

“H-He’s doing well. He’s stable, as he was the last time you came to visit.”   
  
Keith tried his best to smile, but he could tell it didn’t quite make it.   
  
“Oh, that’s good to hear! I’m sure you’ve done everything you could, thank you very much Dr.Kogane. Was it room 207? His siblings have been begging to come see him, I wouldn’t want them to cause any trouble in the lobby, so I should take them into Lance’s room before they cause a ruckus.”   
  
Keith nodded numbly, gesturing towards the room he just came from. He wanted to say so many things, “sorry” being on the top of the list to Lance’s family, but he knew that would be overbearing and not his place to say. He watched as Lance’s mother ushered the small children into Lance’s room, carrying toys and flowers. And as much as it hurt Keith to see the tired circles under the middle-aged woman’s eyes, he was glad that Lance had such a loving family.   
  
Heaving a huge sigh, he rubbed his face in frustration. His previously elevated mood taken down a notch once more. It was never pleasant to tell family bad news, it was always the worst part of his job. But having to tell someone you knew was ten times worse than he imagined. He tried his best to avoid both Hunk’s and Pidge’s worried gazes, not wanting to have to answer any of their questions right now, he made a beeline towards the cafeteria for coffee.

 

Unfortunately for him, that meant walking past Lance’s door, and he really did not want to hear any of the heartbreak that may come with visits like these. Quickening his pace, he tried his best to make his way past the door without disturbing the McClains. But unfortunately, luck just wasn’t on his side today when he heard the muffled but still very clear voices in the room.

“Mama, why isn’t Lance waking up again? He was supposed to go to my soccer practice…”

“Oh dear, Lance remembers your soccer practice, but he’s very sick right now and needs his rest okay? Give him time.”   
  
“But mama, why won’t he at least see us? We came so far to see him!”   
  
Lance’s mother huffed out a small breath, feeling both exasperated yet saddened by her children’s display. She supposed a concept as complicated as a coma was a bit too hard to understand for the little ones.   
  
“He can’t right now dear, he needs to sleep as much as he can or else he won’t be able to leave okay?”   
  
Both of Lance’s sibling’s gasped shaking their heads frantically before lowering their voices.   
  
“No, no, we want Lance home as fast as possible!”   
  
His sister nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly. Their mother could only smile before patting their heads fondly.     
  
“Good, now let’s give Lance all of his presents and then we’re going to let him keep resting, alright?”   
  
“Okay!”   
  
They whisper-shouted in unison before placing the flowers and toys on Lance’s table as well as Lance. His sister taking special care to tuck one of the flowers they brought behind her older brother’s ear.   
  
“Look mama! It looks pretty on him.” She giggled.   
  
Lance’s mother laughed softly patting her head before gently guiding them back towards the door.   
  
“It’s time to say goodbye, we’ll come back to visit Lance again soon dears.”   
  
The two younger kids waved at Lance’s sleeping form before making their way out of the room as Mrs.McClain glanced back at her son worriedly.   
  
“Rest well Lance, please come back to us soon. We miss you so much.” She whispered, sadness dripping from her tone. As big as the urge to go and hug her son was, she didn’t want her emotions to slip, lest she scared her younger children with the gravity of Lance’s real condition. She quickly closed the door behind her, catching up to her children; but Keith did not miss the tears in her eyes as she left.

 

\---

 

Keith had no idea what happened. One second he was trying to get as far away from Lance’s room as possible, and then the next moment he realized he had stood frozen next to Lance’s door the whole time instead. If Keith didn’t feel like shit before, he felt even worse now. Listening to Lance’s family made his chest ache in ways he didn’t think was possible. This was all his fault. Gritting his teeth, he slid down the hospital wall, roughly tugging at his own messy hair, not really caring who saw him at the moment. He felt like a mess. All of the positivity he had mustered up that morning was long gone, replaced by a renewed ache in his chest.

The doctor almost had a heart attack when he felt a large hand land on his head, making him gasp and stand up abruptly. He didn’t want to cause a scene, despite what he said about not giving a shit about who saw him, and quickly wiped his watery eyes only for them to widen at the figure looming over him. 

“I see your brother was not wrong to contact me, Keith.”   
  
A very familiar voice stated. And although the tone was stern, there was a softness hidden behind it.   
  
“M-Mom?” Keith all but croaked, staring wide-eyed as Krolia smiled down at him.   
  
“Yes, has it been so long that you have forgotten my face?” she teased fondly.   
  
Keith could only stare, dumbfounded by his mother’s presence. It took him a few moments to register her words before he relaxed a little bit, his posture sagging a little. Oh, Shiro had called her to come. Of course he did.

“What are you-” 

“Keith.”   
  
Keith’s head whipped up again, the deep contrast of the other voice throwing him off. What now?   
  
Behind Krolia stepped out three very tall and intimidating men, and while Keith didn’t know all of them, he did recognize two of them from the Blade of Marmora cafe. What were they doing here?   
  
Krolia raised a brow, looking at Keith and back at Kolivan, Ulaz and Thace.

“You are all acquainted with my son already?”

“Yes, we have seen Lance bring him to the cafe before. I was not aware that he was your son. He has grown much since he was an infant I did not recognize him.” Kolivan commented gruffly. 

Keith’s mind was reeling, first he was having a breakdown and now he felt like he was dreaming. It did not help that his mother and her...friends?? Were insanely tall and intimidating. If Keith wasn’t used to his mother’s height already, he would’ve been afraid to be cornered by all four of them like this.   
  
“Oh, I see...This Lance boy who brought you to the cafe seems quite fond of you, Keith. At least that is what I have been told.” His mother commented making Keith’s shoulders hunch up in indignation. He did not need his mother to butt into his - was it even a love life if he hadn’t gotten together with Lance yet? Whatever it was, the answer was a big no.   
  
“Why are you here? I’m fine.” He said, ignoring her comment about Lance.   
  
Krolia sighed shaking her head. “If your definition of “fine” is you sitting in the hallway crying, then I do not think your definition is correct, my son.”   
  
Keith felt his ears redden in embarrassment. Was he seriously getting scolded in front of almost strangers right now by his long-time-no-see mom? Not knowing how to retort, an awkward silence fell upon the group.   
  
Ulaz cleared his throat politely, trying to break the silence.

“While I am very sorry to hear that you are very troubled about Lance’s condition, Doctor Keith, we would like to visit him - if that is acceptable. He is a regular customer at our cafe, and we thought it would be honourable for us to see him while he is unwell.”

Snapping out of his daze, Keith’s brain began to function again at the mention of Lance.   
  
“Uh- yeah of course. It’s still visiting hours so go ahead.”   
  
The three men stepped into the room carefully. Despite their large size, they were very quiet, lugging in the get-well gifts they had prepared. If Keith wasn’t so upset about Lance’s condition and seeing his poor family in pain because of it, he would’ve thought the whole situation was hilarious.   
  
After the door shut, Keith nervously shoved his hands into his pockets. He could practically feel his mother’s stare bore into his soul.   
  
“What?” He said rather defensively, not knowing what his mom wanted him to say. He hoped she wouldn’t comment on his reddened and watery eyes, or the fact that he looked like a wreck.   
  
“Nothing. I am just here to see you. I heard that you were upset from your brother, and that it has to do with Lance - the boy in that room.” She gestured towards the door the other three men had disappeared into.   
  
Keith didn’t comment, not knowing what to say. He crossed his arms though, feeling like he was being interrogated somehow.   
  
“Of course I’m upset. Lance is a good friend, and he’s in a coma. Why wouldn’t I be upset.”   
  
His mother doesn’t respond right away, watching Keith carefully as he spoke.   
  
“He is important to you, is he not? Not just as a friend.”   
  
Keith felt denial on the tip of his tongue, but one glance up into his mother’s lilac eyes he knew it was pointless to deny it. His hands fell, instead moving to rub his face tiredly.   
  
“Is that what Shiro told you?”   
  
“No...he would not go into detail. It is just in the way you speak of him.”

She commented, a small smile on her features. “It’s okay to be upset, Keith. I am very happy that you have found someone important in your life.”   
  
Keith scoffed, feeling that guilt bubble up again. “Yeah well, it doesn’t matter if he’s in a coma. We don’t know when he’ll wake up, if ever,” he said bitterly, feeling even worse that he was taking out his frustrations out on his mother. But before Krolia could respond, however, the door opened once again.   
  
Thace glanced over at Keith and Krolia and bowed his head a bit in apology. “Sorry, we are done visiting Lance, we will wait for you in the lobby, Krolia. And please take care, Keith. Both you and Lance.”   
  
Krolia nodded, watching as the three men exited the room and made their way towards the lobby.   
  
When the Blades were out of earshot she turned to Keith, who hadn’t moved from his spot next to the door.   
  
“Come on, let’s go in. I would like to visit your friend as well, if you will allow me.”

Keith hesitated for a moment before relenting. Moving to open the door for his mother before stepping in himself. Keith felt like a walking paradox. He wanted to look at Lance to make sure he was okay, but at the same time, looking at him covered in presents and flowers made his chest ache. So he settled with sitting in the chair next to the bed and holding his hand, like he’s done countless times these past few weeks, and kept his gaze locked down into his own lap.   
  
Krolia watched the gesture with a fond smile, moving to sit at the end of Lance’s bed and just took a few moments to observe the fireman. He looked peaceful.   
  
“Would you like to tell me what happened?” She said, knowing that Keith was upset at more than just Lance’s condition, although of course, that was a major part of it. Krolia did not know what had transpired between them.   
  
Keith didn’t speak, not sure what to tell her. There was so much that happened and his own emotions were a mess. He wasn’t good at these kinds of things.

“You don’t have to tell me everything, Keith. I just want to help you. Tell me whatever is bothering you, I am sure it will help you feel better,” she prompted again, voice soft as she watched her son’s brows furrow in frustration.

Keith closed his eyes and sighed heavily, leaning back into the chair. Maybe his mother was right. Even though every one of his friends knew about _why_ he was so upset, he had never had the chance to just...talk about it all. And while he trusted his friends, he never wanted to dump his own problems on them when they were also upset about Lance. They all were. Taking another long moment to gather his scattered thoughts he spoke softly.   
  
“There was a fire...in my apartment. And Lance, he saved me. But now he’s like this because of it. I don’t know what to do. There’s nothing I can do. I’ve done everything I can and...I just want him to come back. If he doesn’t I...I don’t know what I’ll do.” Keith’s voice was hoarse, feeling the unpleasant feeling of tears coming on again but he pushed them back and continued.   
  
“He said he loved me, mom. He said he loved me when he saved me but - I couldn’t say it back to him. And if he doesn’t wake up I…” his voice cracked, feeling hot tears begin to gather at his eyes.

A warm hand landed on his back, and then another, and before he could react he was pulled into a firm but gentle hug. 

“It’s okay Keith, he will pull through,” she said while carding a hand through her son’s dark locks.  
  
“But you don’t know that.” He mumbled.   
  
“No I don’t. No one does. But sometimes, believing in something will help make it come true. Have some faith in him Keith. If he is half as stubborn you are, then he will pull through.”   
  
Keith scoffed but doesn’t pull away from his mother’s hug, slowly wrapping his arms around her waist.   
  
“I’m not a kid anymore, wishing doesn’t do shit.”   
  
Krolia huffed a laugh before shaking her head.   
  
“Are you saying hope is only for children? Sometimes hope is all we have, but we have to hold onto it or else there will be nothing else left. Then we will truly be lost.”   
  
Keith doesn't comment, trying to take in everything his mother was trying to say even though that doubt was still in his mind. He rubbed at his tears in frustration, sniffling against her chest as Krolia continued to speak.

“What I am trying to say is...losing hope and being upset does not help bad situations. And while it is okay to feel that way, you cannot let it consume you. I know how you feel Keith, losing someone is never easy. Do you remember your father?”

Keith tensed at the mention of his dad, but he slowly nodded, not sure where Krolia was going with this.   
  
“Do you remember what he did?”   
  
Keith furrowed his brows a little. His father had died when he was very young. And while he missed him dearly and had nothing but fond memories of him, his father hadn’t crossed his mind in a long time. Keith’s eyes widened lifting his head up to stare at his mother. Then it dawned on him like a ton of bricks, that -   
  
“That's right, he was also a firefighter.” She answered with a small smile, her eyes meeting Keith’s wide ones.   
  
“And he had passed away doing what he did best.”

“You mean -”  
  
Krolia nodded, both fondness and sadness reflecting in her eyes.   
  
“You were so young maybe you don’t remember very well. But he had given up his life to save us from a terrible house fire. While it’s okay to be upset at him for leaving, to be sad that he’s gone, but...if he was here now, and you asked him why he did it, what do you think he would say?”   
  
“I…-” Keith choked, not knowing how to respond.   
  
“He would probably say, ‘I did it to protect what I loved most, and I would do it again,’” she said in a warm tone, her eyes never leaving Keith’s before she looked away and towards Lance.   
  
“Loving people and getting closer to people can hurt, Keith. It hurts when they have to leave, but I will never regret meeting the people I love. Or I would’ve never met your father, and you wouldn’t be here with me now. Life can be cruel, but that doesn’t mean we should ever give up. Not when there’s hope.”   
  
Keith was speechless, staring at his mother for a long moment before his eyes drifted to meet Krolia’s line of sight. Lance was sleeping peacefully as ever, his hair a mess with a flower behind his ear while various get-well cards and toys were strewn about.   
  
“He clearly loves you Keith, and I can tell that you return that love. It would be a shame for you to lose hope when he is still here, is it not? Not all is lost, Keith, and you should not let your emotions drag you or Lance down. Lance needs you now more than ever to be strong, and I know you won’t fail him.”   
  
Keith’s deep violet eyes flicked back to meet his mother’s once more, his attention turning back to her as he sat up a bit more, his grip on Lance’s hand becoming more firm.   
  
“Y-...You’re right. I shouldn’t doubt his recovery when he still has a chance to come back. I won’t give up on him. Even if it kills me.”   
  
Krolia laughed softly at the determined gaze she was receiving from her son. Some things never change.   
  
“Well, I do not think your demise will help anyone, Keith. But I am glad to see that you feel better, and that you are determined to stay strong for the both of you.”   
  
Keith scoffed but gave his mother a grateful smile, the guilt in his chest was still present but it had died down to just a dull ache now, rather than gut-wrenching pain.

 

His gaze turned back towards Lance and he felt a newfound bubble of hope form in the pit of his stomach. His mother was right, Lance wasn’t gone. He was still here. And while he did not know when Lance was going to wake, he had faith that he would. He had to, because Keith did not have the chance to confess to him yet - and he had no intention of giving up on Lance when Lance was still holding on. It wasn’t that Keith had no faith that Lance wouldn’t wake, but the crushing possibility of the worst case scenario had plagued his mind ever since he woke up from the incident.

But now, he realized that thinking about the worst outcomes was not helpful at all. Not to him, not to Lance, and definitely not to his friends. Hell, both Pidge _and_ Shiro had to call in Hunk and Krolia just to check up on him, and now he felt like an idiot for worrying everyone on top of their worry for Lance.

Closing his eyes, Keith took a deep breath to calm his thoughts, his mother’s presence and support helping him greatly. He felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He knew that nothing had really changed, but he was determined to take better care of himself so that when Lance _did_ wake, he could focus all of his energy and attention on his recovery.   
  
“Thanks Krolia, I really appreciate it. Since when were you good with words?”   
  
Krolia only raised a brow at her son, glad that his usual attitude was shining through again.   
  
“I am not, but you were always worse than me.”

Keith snorted, pushing his mother’s arm playfully.   
  
“Hey! I’m not-”  Pausing for a moment he frowned. “Okay, maybe I am.” He relented, deciding he’d never win an argument against his mom.   
  
“I am glad I could help, Keith. I know it has been a while since I have come to visit. But I am happy to see that you found someone important to you.”   
  
Keith felt his cheeks redden, feeling the embarrassment catch up to him now that he wasn’t a mess of negative emotions anymore. God, this was so embarrassing.   
  
“He is pretty, and clearly brave. I wouldn’t mind him being my son-in-law.”   
  
“MOM!!!” Keith hissed, the red shooting up to the tips of his ears. Krolia only looked more amused at his reactions, which annoyed Keith even more.   
  
“Okay, I think that’s more than enough quality son-and-mother time for today. We should give Lance some space.” The doctor all but huffed, standing to leave. Although, he was careful to tuck Lance’s hand gently back under the sheets.   
  
“What? I am merely speaking the truth. If you choose to court him, then I approve of your decis-”   
  
“MOM!!!!!!” Keith whisper-shouted, so exasperated that he felt like he wanted to rip his hair out.

God, he was having some serious emotional whiplash today; he was exhausted. His mother’s soft laughter, however, did simmer down his annoyance a bit. Just a bit. 

“I see that Lance is a sensitive topic, I will tread lightly. I am looking forward to meeting him when he wakes,” she said with a small smile, having every intention on getting to know Lance better so she could see who had gotten her son so smitten like this. He must be very special; this was a first, even for her to see Keith react so strongly towards anything, let alone anyone.   
  
“UGH, okay. Out.”   
  
Keith was bodily pushing his mother out the door now, despite her being much taller than him. She wasn’t really budging, much to Keith’s dismay.   
  
“Yes, yes, very well,” she finally conceded, deciding that was enough teasing for now.   
  
Keith sighed, rubbing his face tiredly for the umpteenth time that day.

He sent Lance a mental apology for whatever his mother had planned for him when he woke while he followed his mother out of the door. 

Before they got to the door, however, Keith almost smashed his face into his mother’s back who had stopped moving.  
  
“Wha- Why did you stop?” He accused, brows furrowed in confusion and annoyance.

But his mother wasn’t looking at him, but looking past him.

“Keith-” She breathed putting a hand on her son’s shoulder, prompting Keith to turn away from the door to try to see what his mother was referring to.

His eyes widened in shock as his whole body tensed.

_“Lance —”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ψ(｀∇´)ψ
> 
> (Our next update will hopefully be coming soon! Thank you for being so patient with us!! ♥)


	11. Bonding Moment™

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! 
> 
> We're sosososo sorry for the long wait, but we hope this chapter will compensate for it! (๑´ㅂ`๑);;;
> 
> Thank you everyone so much for the kudos, comments and continual support despite the long waits between chapters! Although we're quiet, we appreciate and see every comment! 
> 
> We hope you'll stay with us just a little longer as we're nearly done!! Now without further ado, enjoy~

Keith wasn’t sure if he’s ever moved so fast.

The second he trained his eyes on Lance’s head shifting ever so slightly on the hospital pillow, the doctor was already by the fireman’s bedside.

 

“Lance?” He rasped, wondering if his eyes were just playing tricks on him.

 

He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but Keith was certain that he had seen movement. With bated breath, he waited for any other signs of Lance waking up. Another long moment passed, nothing happened. Keith was beginning to think he really had just imagined it until Lance’s head shifted again, and the doctor almost choked on his own breath. The fireman’s eyes fluttered, before opening to reveal those ocean blue eyes that Keith had missed so much.

The doctor was in shock, frozen in place when those blue eyes - albeit hazy with confusion and pain - slowly focused on him. Purple met blue again after what felt like an eternity, and Keith felt his heart skip a beat.

 

He was awake, Lance was awake.

 

Keith wasn’t sure how long he just stood there, entranced, until he was snapped out of his shock by movement out of the corner of his eye. A tan hand was lifted, reaching for his own, and Keith quickly grasped it with his own like his life depended on it as he sank down to his knees. His whole body was practically shaking in his disbelief, but he was also happy. So happy he barely knew what to do with himself.

 

“Hey…” Was all Keith managed to croak out when he was able to recollect himself again.

 

Although Lance didn’t verbally answer him, Keith could see the faintest of smiles on the other man’s face and he swore he’d never seen anything more beautiful in his life. A soft pressure was applied to his hand and he squeezed Lance’s hand back gently. It was everything he had been wishing for in the past one and half months, and it was here, it was happening; Lance was awake and he could barely process it since he was just reeling with guilt and sadness only moments ago. God, if this was a dream, he never wanted to wake up from it.

 

Lance’s eyes began to droop as Keith was caught in his own spiraling thoughts. Immediately, he snapped back into doctor mode. Getting up to his feet but never letting go of the other’s hand, he quickly assessed Lance’s vitals to make sure everything was stable before he ran a shaky but gentle hand through Lance’s disheveled brown locks.

 

“Hey Lance, can you still hear me?”

 

Another squeeze from the other’s hand indicated that the fireman could still hear him despite the other’s eyes falling closed once again, and Keith’s heart leapt in joy. Squeezing back, he couldn’t help the smile that made its way onto his face. He was awake. Lance was awake and will be okay. The amount of relief Keith felt was almost crushing, like a tide had come and washed away all of his worries. He felt like he would cry again but held it in - Keith had done more than enough crying for one day, and he didn’t want the first thing Lance to wake up to was his tear-stained face. Turning back to the brunette, he continued to stroke the other’s head, hoping it was soothing in some way.

 

“Hey Lance, how do you feel? Do you remember what happened?”

 

Lance’s brows furrowed, but gave Keith the faintest of nods. There was little Lance could do to let Keith know how he felt. Although the doctor had a pretty good idea how Lance was physically, he was hoping Lance would have enough strength to talk to him. But it seemed like he was still too weak. However, Keith was not going to complain - it was already a miracle that Lance was conscious again. He didn’t want to push his luck.

 

“Everything’s going to be alright, just rest okay? I’ll be here when you wake.”

 

Lance visibly relaxed at that statement, the crease in his brows still present due to the pain, but Keith’s words reassured him. Neither of them were willing to let the other’s hand go, so Keith made himself comfortable and sat down in the chair next to Lance’s bed. He watched as the fireman’s breaths began to even out again when a wave of emotion hit him, reminding Keith why Lance was like this in the first place.

 

“...and Lance?”

Keith’s voice wavered, but he didn’t stop.

“Thank you...thank you for saving me.”

 

His voice broke by the end of his sentence and he cursed himself for being so emotionally charged, but Keith really needed Lance to know. For a second he felt disappointment, thinking Lance had already fallen asleep and hadn’t heard what he had said, but he was pleasantly surprised when he felt another gentle squeeze. Lifting his head, he saw the faint smile on Lance’s lips and Keith felt like his chest was going to burst. A small smile that took over his own face and god it felt like it had been ages since he last smiled like this. Sitting there for another five minutes, Keith realized that Krolia was still present and he slowly turned to see his mother patiently waiting for him. She too, had a smile on her face and Keith turned back to Lance in embarrassment, realizing she had seen the whole thing. But he was honestly too relieved to care.

 

The stubborn part of him wanted to stay here in this goddamn chair, holding Lance’s warm calloused yet soft hand and to keep watch as long as it took to make sure he would be there when Lance woke up again. But the more logical side of him knew that this would most likely be hours from now, and he had promised everyone that he would take better care of himself. So with a great deal of effort, Keith hesitantly placed Lance’s hand back onto the bed, before gently disentangling their fingers. The doctor already missed the warmth of those tanned hands and he was hit again with how much he cared about Lance - almost terrifying - but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Keith was going to confess to Lance the next time he woke. He was tired of dodging his own emotions and now that Lance was out of a coma, he had the chance to let the fireman know how he felt. He was going to do it, regardless of the outcome.

 

Watching Lance’s sleeping face for a few more moments, he stood and turned to leave, giving his mom a glare that really had no heat behind it when he saw the amusement and relief on her face.

 

“What is it this time mom…”

Krolia shook her head, righting herself from the leaning position against the door.

“Nothing, Keith. It is just that I can tell you do not want to leave.”

Keith huffed, crossing his arms.

“Of course I don’t want to leave, but I do have other patients to attend to and...have to take care of myself or whatever…”

Krolia just laughed good naturedly, nodding in approval.

“It seems like just his presence alone is making you act more rationally.”

Keith felt his face heat up, and he quickly moved past his mom to exit the room. God, he needed to make sure his mom was NOT HERE when he confessed to Lance. He would never hear the end of it.

 

\--------------

 

As soon as the door closed behind him, Keith had the urge to go back inside. He wanted to be there for Lance more than ever, especially knowing that the fireman could wake up at any moment. But he knew that was just his feelings talking, Keith had things to do and he also had to tell the good news to everyone. A small smile crept onto his face as he let that sink in. He can tell everyone that Lance woke up from his coma and on his way to recovery. He grunted when he yet again smashed into the back of his mother when she stopped abruptly, not realizing where he had been going in his reverie. He was about to comment on how he hoped this wasn’t going to be a recurring thing until he noticed Krolia now stood in front of the three blade of marmora cafe staff.

 

“We have good news, Lance has awoken moments ago and it seems like that is a good sign to his recovery.”

 

Keith watched with curiosity yet concern as the members’ postures straightened. While none of their facial features particularly changed, he could tell that they were happy and relieved from the news somehow just from their auras alone. He would never understand these people, but at least they seemed to be good at heart and if Lance trusted them, then Keith supposed he trusted them too.

 

Turning away from his mother’s conversation, he looked towards the main desk to find some familiar faces. Hunk was lounging behind the desk with Pidge as Shiro was handing some documents to them.

 

Feeling his heartbeat quicken at the prospect of being able to give them the good news, Keith made his way over to his brother and friends. Hunk was the first to notice him, waving his arm towards him as he approached, followed by Pidge and Shiro as they both looked over to greet him as well.

 

“Hey man, good to see you up and about! How’s it going?”

 

Hunk was the first to break the ice and Keith was forever grateful that Lance and Hunk always knew how to break the tension. The doctor smiled and put his hands in his coat pockets, feeling more relaxed than he had in months.

 

“Hey- um...I’m good actually.”

 

Almost comically, everyone’s eyes widened like saucers, especially his brother’s, although it was hard to tell with Pidge. Both Pidge and Shiro whipped their heads towards Hunk in disbelief, wondering if he had anything to do with the huge flip in Keith’s mood. Hunk quickly put his hands up in defence.

 

“Woah woah woah, hold on- I’m pretty sure it’s probably his mom, not that it matters. I’m really happy to hear you’re feeling better, buddy!”

Keith raised a brow in amusement, glad that he was able to enjoy the presence of his friends again rather than wallow in guilt and misery. God he was so glad Lance woke up.

“The food was great Hunk, and...thanks for the...talk.”

  
He opened his mouth, wanting to thank Pidge for calling Hunk but stopped himself when Hunk started signing a huge X with his arms and shaking his head frantically. He sighed, chuckling to himself as he turned to his brother instead.

 

“Thanks, by the way, Shiro. Talking to mom helped.”

Shiro was caught off guard, but smiled at his little brother.

“I’m just glad she was able to help. I know it’s been really hard on yo-”

“Who are you, and where is Keith.”

“Pidge-”

“No seriously, who are you and where is Keith. Clearly this is an imposter, Keith just said like, two ‘thank yous’ in the past two minutes.”

Keith scoffed, but let her continue to ramble good naturedly. He supposed he should stop stalling and just give them the good news already - they deserved to know.

“Pidge, as much as I appreciate you coming up with conspiracy theories on body snatchers, I have something important to tell you guys.”

All three of them trained their eyes on him and he couldn’t help the smile when he told them the good news:

“Lance woke up. He- He woke up and he recognized me.”

 

There was a long moment of silence before Hunk practically launched himself over the counter.

“He woke up?! So he’s gonna be okay now?!”

Keith had to balance himself, almost knocked over by Hunk’s enthusiasm before Shiro spoke.

“That’s great Keith!”

“Okay I take it back, maybe you are our Keith. You’re only a sap when it comes to Lance, so it makes sense.”

Keith nearly choked when he was enveloped into an impromptu group hug, courtesy of Hunk. He almost thought his ribs were going to crack; the fireman didn’t know his own strength, and he sighed in relief once the hug was over. How Lance was still alive getting bear hugs from Hunk on a daily basis, Keith had no idea.

 

“But really, I’m really happy to hear that Lance woke up. It’s such a relief.”

Keith smiled at Pidge, knowing that she had worried a great deal for both him and Lance.

“Yeah, I am too.”

Shiro pat Keith on the back before smiling down at him.

“You know what that means right?”

Keith frowned, not knowing what Shiro was referring to.

“We should tell his parents.”

 

Keith’s breath caught in his throat, remembering that Mrs.McClain had stopped by earlier today only to leave with a broken heart. He was nervous to call, but elated that he would be able to give her good news today. Did he want to do it though? Maybe it wasn’t his place...he was the one who caused it after all-

 

“You _are_ going to call them aren't you?”

Keith looked up at Pidge and sighed, knowing he was caught red handed overthinking again.

“Yeah… Yeah I will.”

“Great! We should go celebrate. Can we have like, a party or something in Lance’s room tonight?”

“Hunk, he may have woken up but he’s still in recovery, he’s going to need a lot more time to recover before we can throw a party for him,” Shiro quickly chastised, not wanting the other man to jump the gun.

 

Shiro knew that although Lance had woken up and it was a huge relief that he had gotten out of a coma, it did not mean that he was magically cured. Lance still had a ways away to a full recovery, but the older man also knew now that it was most likely only going to be a matter of time before the fireman does.

Keith smiled at them, happy that the cloud that had been hanging over all of them ever since the fire incident had finally lifted. It felt nice to be able to breathe again. And although a part of him wanted to just relax and bathe in the relief with the rest of his friends, he knew he should probably get going. The faster he did everything he needed to do, the faster he could go back to camp by Lance’s bedside. After letting the trio know that he was going to go make the call to Lance’s family, he moved away from the front desk. Keith made sure to see his mother and the blade members out, promising to let them know when Lance makes a full recovery before he walked towards the back of the hospital to make the call.

While passing by the cafeteria, he thought about grabbing a cup of coffee but he kept walking, eager to give Lance’s family the update on his condition. At the rate he was going, he might not even need a cup of coffee today.

With a smile, he dialed the now familiar number. He would be able to give the McClain's the good news.

 

\--- Later in the evening ---

 

Keith lied - he definitely needed that cup of coffee because he was nervous. He had no idea why he was so nervous, but he was. Keith had just finished all of this appointments that day, and he’d allowed Shiro to take over some of his nightly duties so he would be able to watch Lance overnight. He had taken a nap, showered, and had a light dinner before making his way to the familiar door.

 

Carefully, with his coffee cradled in his hand, Keith made his way over and sat down in his usual chair. He smiled softly when he laid eyes on the fireman sleeping peacefully. Just the idea of knowing that Lance was no longer in a coma did wonders for Keith. Taking a sip of his coffee, he carefully moved to take Lance’s hand back in his own, sighing when the familiar feeling of Lance’s warm palm calmed him down significantly. He knew it was silly to be nervous. Lance had confessed to him, right? So if Keith confessed to Lance when he woke, it’s unlikely that Lance would reject him… right?

 

Keith sighed, sinking into the uncomfortable hospital chair - they really needed to upgrade the damn things. Glancing back at Lance, he began to think about how he should confess.

Should he just tell the other man straight up? Should he make it romantic somehow? Flowers? Lance liked romantic things right?

It was then Keith realized he had no idea what he was doing.

Would Lance be disappointed if he confessed to him without doing anything special? What did normal people do in this type of situation anyway?

Keith felt anxiety and frustration build in his chest. He closed his eyes and groaned, having no idea what to do with all of this “emotion” stuff. He just hoped that Lance wouldn't hold it against him if he did this the wrong way. He would ask for advice if all of his friends and mom weren’t so nosy. But he supposed he had to do this on his own. It was about him and Lance, no one else.

 

Keith almost had a heart attack when he heard a faint groan from the bed.

Squeezing Lance’s hand in his own, he shifted closer, moving his other hand to run through the other’s hair.

 

“Hey…” Keith said softly, not wanting to alarm Lance.

 

He waited, a small part of him worried that Lance waking up earlier today was just a fluke of some sort. But Keith was relieved when he saw Lance’s eyelashes fluttering, letting blue eyes meet his own, once again. And while his eyes were still a bit hazy, they seemed to be significantly clearer than they had been earlier in the day.

 

“Hey…”

 

And Keith almost choked on his own emotions when he heard the raspy and weak, but unmistakable tone of Lance’s voice. A small part of his heart broke, never having heard Lance sound so weak. But he was speaking, and Keith couldn’t be happier.

Lance smiled at Keith, keeping his eyes trained on the ravenhead, having felt like he hadn’t seen the other man in ages despite the fire incident being fresh in his mind like it had only been yesterday.

 

“How are you feeling?”

 

Lance was brought back to attention at the sound of Keith’s voice. How long had he been out? He was glad to see that Keith seemed unharmed. Was Keith okay? Did he even get himself checked out? He had way too many questions but felt like his throat was as dry as the desert. As if hearing his thoughts, Keith moved a hand to his back.

 

“Hold on, let me get you some water, you must be thirsty.”

 

Lance could only nod, smiling when Keith helped him to sit up, and carefully moved a straw to his lips so he could drink. He took a few big gulps, eager to finish the whole glass but the doctor moved it away before he could. Lance almost whined, but Keith was quick to explain.

 

“You can’t drink too much too quickly, or you’ll throw up. Just take it easy, you can have some more later okay?”

 

Lance blinked in surprise at how soft Keith was being - not that Keith wasn’t soft on a regular basis, but it felt...different somehow. It was a different kind of soft that Lance wasn’t sure how to process in his still muddled mind. Clearing his throat a few times he tried to speak again, this time managing a bit more than his previous attempt.

 

“A-Are you okay?” The fireman managed to rasp out as Keith helped Lance settle back down onto the hospital bed, making sure he was comfortable once more.

 

Keith almost snorted in incredulity. While the smallest part of Keith wanted to say “what do you think” since Lance was clearly the one still in the hospital bed while Keith was perfectly fine, up and about, but Keith merely smiled. That familiar warmth he had missed whenever he talked to Lance coming back full force and hitting him in the chest. Of course Lance would ask him how Keith was, even though he was the one injured. It was the most Lance answer and Keith should’ve expected nothing less from the selfless man in front of him. Keith closed his eyes, relishing in the warm feeling and the overwhelming fondness he felt for the man on the bed before him.

Lance was beginning to worry, watching the array of different emotions play out on Keith’s face as he took in Lance’s question. His thin brows furrowed, wondering if Keith was somehow hiding some sort of injury from him.

 

“Are you sure you’re -” but Lance was cut off when Keith spoke up softly,

“I’m fine you idiot, who do you think has been taking care of you?”

 

Lance’s mouth snapped shut, a small part of him offended at being called an idiot when he was just worried about Keith, but something in Keith’s tone and expression made it sound...endearing? Maybe Lance really was still too loopy on pain killers to be having this conversation. He felt like he was reading everything wrong; taking in the world through a fuzzy screen rather than his own senses. His curiosity got the better of him though, so he continued, grateful when his voice only cracked once the next time he spoke,

 

“H-How long?”

 

Keith’s head snapped up at the question, his nervousness returning when he realized he had promised himself that he was going to confess to Lance - right here, and now.

 

“What?” Keith blurted out without thinking, the doctor wanted to punch himself for saying something so stupid.

 

Lance blinked in confusion, wondering if his mouth hadn’t worked somehow when he asked the previous question. Keith was quick to reassure him however, seeing the worry on Lance’s face. God, he really needed to recollect his scattered thoughts. He should be the “calm and collected one” at the moment. Lance had been in a coma for so long, it was only natural for him to have a lot of questions.

 

“Sorry, you- you’ve been out for…almost seven weeks, I believe,” Keith stated solemnly, his voice almost cracking by the end of his statement. While it wasn’t a short period of time, it also felt like an eternity for Keith. It had probably been one of the most stressful one and a half months of his life.

 

Lance’s eyes widened in disbelief. While he was disappointed, he supposed he was just glad that he woke up at all. How many times was he going to end up in the hospital like this? He really, really didn’t want to make this a habit. But...he would never regret what he did on both occasions, especially the last incident. He would save Keith all over again, even if he knew he wouldn’t wake up the next time. The gravity of his thoughts weighed on him heavily, and Lance felt both parts happiness, but also nervousness. He did it, he had saved Keith. Keith was sitting here now in front of him, and it finally dawned on him in that moment that he had done it. Lance closed his eyes, feeling his throat tighten with emotion. He thought back to those desperate few moments in the stairwell where he felt like he had failed them both. The relief of successfully rescuing Keith was almost too good to be true.

 

“Lance...? Are you okay?”

 

Lance quickly turned his gaze back at Keith, moving a shaky hand to wipe at his dampening eyes. Keith looked like he was about to leap out of the chair in panic, and Lance couldn’t help the small huff of laugher that escaped from him. Even though the action hurt his chest. Keith was such a big softie despite his angry and prickly facade.

 

“I’m fine, don’t worry...I’m...I’m just glad you’re okay Keith. I was really worried...worried that I didn’t...that maybe I wasn’t able to save you in time.”

Keith’s heart almost broke, and before he could stop himself, he moved a hand to cup Lance’s cheek so he could wipe away the moisture there himself with a calloused but gentle thumb.

 

“Hey…look at me,” the doctor murmured, keeping his tone soft since he was wary of upsetting Lance further.

 

Lance hesitated, not wanting Keith to see him cry, but he turned to look at Keith anyway. Seeing the amount of emotions swimming in those amethyst eyes almost had Lance’s breath taken away.

 

“I’m safe and I’m here in one piece because of you. So don’t think about ‘what ifs, ands, or buts.’ You saved me, and I could never thank you enough for what you did for me.”

 

Lance stared at Keith in shock. Blue orbs wavering with his own storm of emotions, seeing the amount of conviction and the fierceness in both Keith’s voice and expression as he said them. Lance felt like his chest was going to burst. He quickly broke eye contact, not really sure how to deal with such intensity from Keith.

Keith quickly backed up a bit to give Lance some space. Shit, was that too intense? This was not how he wanted the leadup to his confession to be like. Biting his lip nervously, he gave Lance some time to collect his thoughts before speaking up again.

 

“S-Sorry- I just…I just meant that you don’t have to worry about me. You saved me and I’m perfectly fine. You should worry more about yourself.”

The fireman took a deep breath after Keith’s statement and reigned in his emotions back in once more.

“N-No it’s okay, I-... y-you’re welcome?”

 

Lance buried his face into the stale hospital pillow as soon as the words left his mouth. He didn’t know what to say okay?! He panicked.

Keith took a moment to process Lance’s words before he barked out a laugh. Was Lance serious? He thanked him for saving his life and all Lance had to say was ‘you’re welcome’, as if he had just held a door open for Keith or something just as trivial. Keith didn’t know why, but it was the most endearing thing he’d ever heard.

 

“Don’t laugh, you meanie…”

 

Lance all but pouted, and god, had Keith missed this. Missed Lance. Missed everything about Lance and it made him feel warm all over. The nervousness he had felt in regards to confessing to Lance vanished. There was nothing to worry about. This was Lance he was talking to. Even if he didn’t feel the same way - despite Lance’s declaration during the fire incident, Keith would never know if it was just a “spur of the moment” thing or if it was just panic talk, but Keith knew Lance would never shun him or push him away. That in itself gave enough courage to fuel Keith on. He was going to do this.

The fireman observed Keith with curiosity. The doctor was acting a bit odd, but he wasn’t able to pinpoint what it was exactly. Was Keith upset? Angry? He kept pausing every now and then, and looked distant. Lance wasn’t sure how to address it.

Having calmed down some from his embarrassing comment earlier, he closed his eyes and thought back to the moment he had found Keith unconscious in that bedroom. The fireman felt like he was going to get nightmares of that fire for months. He’d never been so scared in his life. The moment Keith didn’t breathe, or move. The panic he felt when he cradled him in his arms, and then-

Lance almost choked on his own spit before coughing.

Keith was there in an instant, helping him sit up and rubbing his back soothingly before asking if he was okay. Lance quickly held up a hand to let Keith know he was fine. But mentally he was freaking out because...he had confessed to Keith then, hadn’t he? Did...Keith know about how he felt? Is that why he was acting so odd?

 

“Lance? Talk to me, you’re worrying me here. Is there pain anywhere?”

 

The fireman shook his head, willing himself to just calm the fuck down because he was freaking Keith out too. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head again, reassuring Keith that he was okay.

 

“No no...I’m fine. It’s just…”

 

Lance wasn’t sure how to word any of this. Picking at a loose thread on the crumpled white bed sheets, he took a few moments to think of how to proceed.

 

“Did...Did you- maybe remember what I said to you? During the...during the fire…”

 

Lance’s voice trailed off, unsure of how to continue. Maybe this was a bad idea, he shouldn’t be bringing up their near death experience together so soon, but Lance was dying to know if Keith had heard or even remembered what he had said to him on that fateful night.

Keith was so out of it, Lance wouldn't be surprised if the doctor didn’t remember, but not knowing whether Keith knew how he felt or not was gnawing at him inside. If Keith wasn’t comfortable with it, then he wanted to get it over with so he can wallow in his self pity. But the smallest bubble of hope remained that maybe, just maybe, Keith somehow felt the same about him. Well, it was too late now, it was all out in the open. This was the moment of truth. If Keith didn’t recall their bonding moment, then Lance wouldn’t be sure whether he’d be disappointed or relieved. Nevertheless, Lance waited nervously for Keith’s reply. Unable to keep eye contact, he had his eyes trained on the far wall.

Keith watched as the beep of the heart monitor picked up, taking in Lance’s nervousness and immediately knew what the other man was referring to. This was it, this was his chance to confess his feelings back. He felt his own heart rate pick up, and he mentally scoffed at how ironic this was. How he had met Lance all those months ago the same way they were now. Lance coming out from a coma with the heart monitor betraying Lance’s attempts at trying to hide his feelings. With a fond smile and a deep breath he found the courage to speak.

 

“I love you too, Lance.”

 

Keith held his breath, making sure to keep his eyes on Lance as the fireman turned his head to face him, his whole body stiff. Keith tried his best to look confident, even though he was a mess on the inside, but he had done it. He said it.

Lance’s eyes were fixed onto Keith’s violet ones. The amount of emotions he felt was unreal in that moment. Keith...loved him back? Was he dreaming?

The doctor took in the fireman’s awed expression and couldn’t help but feel so much affection towards the other man. Keith had no idea why Lance would think he wouldn’t return his feelings, Lance was probably one of the best things that’s ever happened to him.

 

“Y-You really mean it?”

 

Lance sounded so small then, as if he spoke louder the moment might break. Keith felt the strong urge to kiss Lance on his lips then and there, but seeing as Lance was still in recovery - and maybe he was too scared to move too fast for Lance - he opted for another option. Before Lance could dwell upon Keith’s delayed response, he moved his hand to carefully brush back Lance’s soft brown bangs before planting a gentle kiss there, hoping that it was reassuring to Lance that, yes, he meant what he said.

 

“I do. I love you Lance.” Keith said softly, reassuringly, inches away from Lance who was laying on the hospital bed. The smile that broke through Lance’s tired but happy face was worth every minute he had to wait for this moment.

 

Lance was so happy he could barely contain himself. But since he couldn’t do much lying on the bed, strong tanned arms reached up to pull the doctor into an embrace. Lance hiding his smile into the other’s neck before speaking now with more confidence.

 

“I love you too, Keith.”

 

Keith’s eyes were wide. - not once in his wildest dreams did he think this moment would come to fruition. He never thought he’d hear those words leave Lance’s lips again; he thought that maybe the moment in the fire was just his imagination fueled by his smoked-addled brain. But to hear it in person, with Lance so close and safe here in this hospital room, Keith wouldn’t have it any other way.

The doctor found himself returning the hug with just as much enthusiasm, still mindful of Lance’s injuries. Keith’s heart was beating a mile a minute and, for the first time in a long time, he couldn’t wipe the dumb smile off of his own face.

Keith never wanted this moment to end, but knew that Lance was long overdue for a proper meal and some more rest. He was impressed that Lance even managed to hold up a conversation for as long as he did today. Giving Lance another gentle squeeze, he reluctantly pulled back to take a better look at the other man.

 

“Hey, as much as I don’t want this bonding moment to end, you need to eat and take your medication before getting some more rest. I’ll be here when you wake up,” Keith mused, his hand carding through the other’s hair.

 

Lance sighed in content, not realizing how tired he was until the adrenaline of what had just happened wore down. Blue eyes shimmering with affection watched Keith, slowly and thoughtfully. Keith had to take a moment to calm himself - did Lance always look at him like that? Because Keith wasn’t sure if he could ever get used to it.

It felt good to know that neither of them had to hide their feelings or tiptoe around each other anymore. He was happy that he could show Lance how much he really meant to him now, and how much he appreciated him.

 

“Okay, but only because I love you,” was the fireman’s reply.

 

And although Lance’s eyes were still fond, there was a spark of mischievousness that Keith hadn’t seen since Lance woke up from his coma. The doctor couldn’t deny that he missed that side of Lance too. He rolled his eyes good naturedly, but didn’t remove his hand from Lance’s hair.

Having Lance back was like having the warm rays of the sun, finally breaking through thick clouds after a long and terrifying storm, and Keith would do everything in his power to keep it that way.

 

 

\-- A Week Later --

 

Keith walked down the now familiar hallway with his coffee in hand, carefully turning the knob in case Lance was still sleeping. The fireman needed as much rest as he could get, so Keith tried his best to let him sleep for as long as he could.

Lance’s recovery was coming along nicely and he had progressed much farther than both Keith or Shiro had anticipated, not that Keith was complaining. In fact, he was really proud of Lance for pushing through so well in such a short period of time.

Despite this, Keith was still a bit worried. Yesterday was the first day they had finally gotten Lance off of his painkillers, deeming him healed enough to not require the assistance of the medication to keep him comfortable. Keith knew Lance would most likely be okay without it, but a small part of him worried that Lance would still be in pain - an idea Keith was not fond of in any capacity, especially not when he was the one looking after him.

After doing his routine check on Lance, he was surprised to see blue eyes trained on him. Although still seemingly half asleep, it looked like Lance was awake after a long week of recovery. Making his way over to the chair next to Lance’s bed, Keith took his seat next to him.

 

“Hey Lance, how are you feeling?”

 

Lance blinked, confused by Keith’s hand that was carding through his hair. Not that Lance minded at all, but he couldn’t remember when they had gotten close enough where Keith would just...stroke his hair like this? Lance felt a blush coming on as he registered both the touch and the look of affection directed at him from deep, violet eyes.

Gasping, Lance launched up in bed and backed away from Keith like he had been shocked, the heart monitor once again betraying him as it spiked comedically. Keith almost had a heart attack of his own with Lance making such sudden movements as if he had been burned.

Dropping his hand back into his lap Keith frowned, wondering if he had done something to spook Lance.

 

“Lance? Are you okay?”

 

Lance’s mind was reeling, growing frantic and trying to remember his last conversation with Keith because...because Keith was acting much more familiar with him than he was used to.

The touches.

The openly fond looks.

He wasn’t sure his heart could take it. What had happened while he was on painkillers? Did he do something stupid again?

 

“I- I yeah I’m okay...Sorry I just…”

 

Lance stuttered, not knowing how to tell Keith that he was just dying of embarrassment because it was illegal for Keith to look at him with so much concern and affection.

Keith frowned again, befuddled by Lance’s behaviour before wracking his brain for why this moment felt so familiar. It only took a second before he remembered this was how Lance reacted to him when he woke up when they first met. Did...Lance not remember their bonding moment? Where they literally confessed to each other?

Keith was going to kill him.

 

“You….don’t remember…??”

 

Lance just stared blankly at Keith for a while and Keith felt like he was going to explode for a completely different reason from the day they confessed to each other.

 

“We had a bonding moment!”

 

The doctor’s voice cracked in his exclamation. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Lance took another long minute to process Keith’s words, flinching back at the intensity of Keith’s statement before his face began to turn red. Fleeting images of Keith’s hand carding through his hair and the sounds of Keith saying, “I love you too, Lance” rang loud and clear in his memories; he felt like he was going to die. He had confessed to Keith, and Keith loved him back?? Lance had to pray to every deity because he felt like he was only able to handle it because he was still on painkillers that day. Now that he finally had 100% of his lucidity after eight weeks of being on painkillers, he felt like he was hyper alert and getting delayed embarrassment from last week.

 

“I can’t fucking believe you-”

“I- I remember! I remember! Jeez- I just… Sorry, it just took me a moment. My head is kind of a mess, but I remember,” Lance mumbled, his face still red, unable to meet Keith’s eyes directly.

Keith sighed in relief, feeling like he had just run a mile. Running a hand through his messy hair he rubbed at his face.

“Jeez Lance, don’t scare me like that.”

 

Lance shifted back towards Keith, a small apologetic smile on his lips, but it didn’t really reach his eyes and Keith frowned.

“Do… do you not...feel that way anymore?” The doctor dared to ask, noticing Lance’s odd behaviour. Although he knew that if Lance answered yes, he would probably break into pieces, but he wanted to make sure. Keith would never want to force Lance to do anything he didn’t want.

 

“No no no no no, Keith. I haven’t changed my mind or anything, just…” Lance groaned, frustrated with himself.

 

“It’s just- I was hoping that, you know, my confession would be so much better! Like, a romantic date or like, at least get you some flowers maybe? Or maybe dinner? Wait- are you allergic to flowers? Maybe chocolate is better. And like, we would go somewhere meaningful, you know? Maybe Disneyland? A garden? Under the stars?”

 

Keith watched in utter shock as Lance began rambling on and on about how he should’ve confessed to Keith. The fireman was riled up, pulling at his own hair and making even more of a mess than it already was.

 

“- or maybe I should’ve taken you to space to an alien castleship and then we could have dinner actually in the stars or something-”

 

Keith burst out laughing, having to hold his stomach from how hard he was laughing, doubling over his chair and almost choking on his own breath.

 

“Keith! Are you even listening to me? I’m serious here, I can’t believe our first… ‘date’ is now technically in a goddamn hospital room! Are we going to have anniversaries here?? I don’t want that!”

 

Lance pouted, crossing his arms indignantly before feeling a small tug at the corner of his lips. Keith was still laughing like he’d never seen him and Lance felt like it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever heard. He wanted Keith to laugh like that more often, although he wished it was less as his expense.

Keith’s laughter finally petered out, having to wipe a tear from his eye before he glanced up, only to see Lance watching him fondly. However, this seemed to prompt Lance to continue his rant.

 

“Okay, Keith, it’s your fault that our special place for anniversaries will be in a goddamn ICU ward. I mean, this is unreal- there’s no way even I, the great Lancey Lance can make a room like this romantic-”

 

Keith’s laughter had subsided but the smile never left his face as he watched Lance go on about how things could’ve gone better.

Lance’s rant eventually slows to a stop when he realizes Keith was simply watching him with the most fond expression Lance had ever seen on the doctor’s face. His mouth clicked shut. He couldn’t believe that this was real. That Keith loved him back.

 

“W-What?” He asked, a little nervous that maybe he had gone too far in his rant, although he didn’t really mean any of it. He hoped Keith knew by now that his mouth just had a mind of its own when he got stressed or nervous.

 

“Nothing...I just missed you.”

 

Lance’s heart skipped a beat and the embarrassment he felt slowly subsided. Lance felt a surge of affection hit him then. With his mind more clear than it had been, he realized how hard it must’ve been for Keith the past two months while he was in a coma. Lance could see the stress, the worry. But Keith was nothing but supportive and Lance felt like he needed to show Keith how much he appreciated him.

Taking a moment to steel himself, he shifted ever so slightly closer before tugging on Keith’s white coat and closing the gap between them.

The kiss was short, chaste, and a bit clumsy, but it was theirs and Lance wouldn’t have it any other way.

Keith had no idea what was happening until it already happened. Eyes wide in surprise, he unconsciously touched his own lips that was just on Lance’s. Lance was blushing up to his ears, but he was smiling. Although it was clumsy and abrupt, the moment was perfect. Keith felt the need to let Lance know that he didn’t really care where either of them were; whether it be a date in a garden, a hospital room, the beach- all that mattered was that they were together.

 

“Hey, and for the record? I’d say cradling me in your arms in the middle of a burning building is a pretty epic confession if you ask me.”

 

Keith smiled seeing how Lance relaxed at the statement, sending him back a small but appreciative smile.

 

Keith closed the gap again and this time, the kiss was deeper. Keith could feel the emotions Lance was putting into the kiss. He had no idea what he expected kissing Lance to be like, but he found he didn’t want it to stop.

Leaning more onto the bed, Keith was determined to deepen the kiss even further until he heard a crash that almost sent him flying into Lance’s lap in shock.

Lance’s face turned beet red as soon as he saw what the commotion was - his shoulders were hunched up to his ears in embarrassment as he pointed at the door behind Keith with an accusatory finger.

“What the hell do you think you guys are doing?!” The fireman all but screeched.

Keith dreaded looking at what Lance was referring to and groaned loudly when he saw a pile of - what he guessed was - his “friends” in a heap on the floor. Just great. And to make it worse, Krolia stepped over the others as if she owned the place as she entered the room and Keith just wanted to bury himself into Lance’s sheets and disappear.

 

“Lance, my boy! This is a most wonderful occasion! I offer you my greatest blessings!”

Lance just gawked at Coran before burying his face into Keith’s shoulder.

“On second thought, put me back in a coma.”

Keith’s reaction was so fast, Lance almost missed it. The smack to his arm was harder than he expected.

 

“Ow! What the hell Keith!”

“Don’t you fucking dare.”

 

Lance pouted, before mumbling an apology, knowing that was probably a bad joke to tell. Keith just sighed, leaning his forehead onto Lance’s collarbone. He needed a vacation. He never once wanted one, but he felt like he needed one now.

 

“Why the long faces, lads? This is a cause for celebration! Why, I’ve heard from everyone how much you two lovebirds have been dancing around each other for months!”

“Coran! Can you please give us some privacy?" Lance all but groaned, he was too tired for this.

“Now now, that is no way to speak to Coran, Lance. He has been very worried about you, as we all have been,” Allura chastised as she got up to brush herself off of the floor.

“Aww come on, Lance! We’re just really happy for you guys! Seriously, it took you long enough. It was killing us how much you guys were tiptoeing around each other,” Hunk added as he helped Pidge and Shiro off of the floor.

“Riiiight, so you guys not only ruin the moment we were having by peering into the room like a bunch of creeps, but now you’re telling me we didn’t get together fast enough?!”

 

Keith shifted himself into a better position, moving a hand to Lance’s back and rubbing it gently.

 

“Hey, I get how you’re feeling but you need to take it easy, Lance,” Keith said with a surprising amount of restraint. While he was annoyed from being interrupted and having their relationship be exposed in this manner, he wasn’t too worked up about it since he knew the others would know about it eventually. Also, he was still worried about Lance’s condition. Although he was clearly well enough to be animated, Keith knew that Lance was still recovering.

 

“That’s right Hunk! You and Shiro owe me!” Pidge said in triumph, her glasses glinting in the light as she held out her hand expectantly.

“Now come on, Pidge. That’s not really fair, I was technically correct,” Shiro lamented, not wanting to give into Pidge’s demands so easily.

“No proof, didn’t happen,” The technician proclaimed, before Shiro and Hunk reluctantly pulled out a fifty dollar bill and placed them onto the girl’s hands.

 

“Did you just-” Lance’s jaw was going to hit the floor at this rate, his arms flailing in disbelief.

“Did you guys...bet on us?!” Keith finished Lance’s thought for him, even though he was just as incredulous.

Keith's brows furrowed in confusion and betrayal. His glare lingered on Shiro who had the decency to look sheepish, rubbing the back of his head before shrugging.

“Sorry Keith, it was just for fun! We knew you two boys would work things out eventually. it was just a matter of time.”

“I don’t know whether to smack you or punch you,” Keith grumbled in dismay, expecting better from his so-called older brother. But he supposed with Pidge and Hunk around, Shiro was never exactly “mature” around them.

 

Shiro laughed nervously, putting his hands up in a placating nature. Hunk on the other hand was bowed, hands clasped together in apology while Lance just stared at him with the look of absolute betrayal, his hand pressed to his heart dramatically.

 

“Your BFF status is officially revoked, how could you…”

“Wait Lance! I swear, we didn’t mean to interrupt you guys, we were just coming to visit and then-”

“...it doesn’t change the fact that you bet on us,” Lance said, eyebrow raised skeptically.

“...uhh okay, okay I can explain that one. It was Pidge’s idea!” Hunk pointed an accusatory finger at the smaller girl currently counting off her new bills.

“Guilty as charged.”

 

Lance groaned, knowing there was no way he was going to win against Pidge. Sighing, he opted to just lay back down onto his bed and curl up around Keith, not having the energy to deal with everything going on at the moment.

Keith continued to rub a soothing circle on Lance’s back. As much as their friends were always chaotic, Keith was glad to see everyone back to their normal selves again. He turned to his mother who was approaching them and he tensed. The flashback of his talk with Krolia came back full force and he was dreading the embarrassment his mother was going to put him through in front of Lance.

 

“I approve of this union, Keith.”

 

“Mom, please…”

 

Lance looked up at that, removing his arms around his face to see the tall woman standing next to the bed, looking shockingly similar to Keith. Mom? Holy shit, she was Keith’s mom?!

The fireman sat up ramrod straight, almost falling back down from the bloodrush to his head. Keith chastised him but helped him to stay upright nonetheless.

“H-Hello Ma’am! I- I’m Lance.” Lance held out his hand for a handshake and Keith wanted to crawl under the bed in embarrassment. This can’t be happening already. He was hoping he would at least have some time alone with Lance before he had to deal with all of this.

Krolia looked amused at the whole exchange, but took Lance’s hand in her own, giving it a firm shake that almost had Lance tipping over and off the bed.

 

“Yes, I already know much about you. Keith has told me-”

 

“Mom, everyone, please, this is still an ICU and Lance is still a patient. So if everyone could give him - US - some space, that would be great.”

 

Keith stood up from the bed, trying his best to stand between them to stop whatever further interaction his mother wanted to have with Lance at the moment.

And as if the whole world was against them, the three blade of marmora members stepped into the doorway as well; flowers and presents readily in their arms.

“I see that we were a bit late, my apologies,” Kolovan stated, taking in everyone in the room and finally resting his gaze on Krolia.

“It is not a problem, we did not have any plans. I am glad you were able to make it. However, I believe I was correct in my prediction.”

All three blade members turned their gazes towards Keith and Lance before landing back on Krolia. Reluctantly, the members all pulled out money from their pockets and placed them into Krolia’s waiting hands.

Keith balked at his mother, and he was sure Lance’s expression was just as incredulous as his own even if he couldn’t see it.

“EVEN YOU BET ON US?!”

“It was not a bet, they simply would not believe me when I tried to tell them my opinions. This was the only way to hold them accountable.”

“THAT’S JUST A LONG WINDED WAY OF SAYING YOU BET ON ME!”

“I suppose if you are insistent on being technical, then yes, I bet on you. But I was correct, I knew you would be able to-”

“OKAY! That’s it. Everybody out.”

 

Keith was getting really sick and tired of having to bodily push his mother out of the room, simply because she always embarrassed him to no end.

 

“Keith, calm down, we all came here to see Lance, we didn’t mean to make such a big-”

Keith’s death glare stopped Shiro’s reasoning in its track.

 

“Okay, okay. We’ll give you guys some time, we can visit Lance later.”

 

“We need a celebration for this wonderful occasion!”

“Oh yes, maybe a party would be nice?”

 

“Keith, I would like to speak more to my future son-in-law-”

 

Keith had to physically push Shiro and Krolia out of the door before slamming it closed. He was glad the others left on their own accord because he knew he wouldn't be able to take on everyone at once.

The room returned to its original peace as Keith sighed in exhaustion, leaning heavily against the door. When he looked up, his eyes locked with Lance’s and both of them shared a long moment of silence before it was broken by a burst of laughter. Keith was the first to recover, slowly making his way back towards the hospital bed so that he could pick up where they had left off before being interrupted so rudely.

 

“Sorry about-”

 

Lance shook his head quickly, his laughter still subsiding. He hand raised to stop whatever Keith was going to say. Warm, blue eyes gazed up at the doctor and Keith felt his own expression soften as he sat down on the edge of the bed, feeling it dip under his weight.

“It’s fine, clearly I missed...a lot while I was out of it,” the brunette chuckled, still amused but also exasperated by everything that had just happened.

Keith could feel the smile tugging on his lips as he watched Lance. He was all disheveled and still a bit weak from the lack of nutrition while he was in a coma, but he was happy and he was safe - that’s all Keith could ask for.

 

“Hey…”

 

The doctor spoke just above a whisper, everything in the room suddenly too quiet after the whirlwind of commotion that was their friends. It seemed to have the desired effect though, as Lance focused solely on Keith once again, wondering what he had to say.

 

“Welcome back, Lance.”

 

Lance wasn’t sure he’d ever felt so warm with anyone else. Keith had always made him feel the warm fuzzies but this new open Keith, who looked at him like he meant the world to him, was a whole new experience. And Lance loved it. He loved Keith, and he was forever grateful that he managed to come back from his coma a second time for this.

“Thanks, Keith. It’s good to be back,” Lance replied, his own voice wavering with gratitude and emotion. He was the first to move but as if reading his mind, the doctor took Lance’s waiting hand in his own and pulled Lance into a soft embrace. Both men closed their eyes, just enjoying the other’s company and thanking the stars for allowing them to survive the fire in Keith’s apartment.

Lance sighed, melting into the hug and taking in Keith’s familiar scent of antiseptic, coffee and something distinctly Keith. But Lance being Lance, he was never great with silences, even though this was a comfortable silence.

 

“Keith? Are we having another ‘bonding moment’ right now?”

 

Keith’s thoughts of how Lance’s familiar scent of the ocean and charcoal was soothing came to an abrupt halt, his thick brows furrowing in slight annoyance.

 

“Why do you have to ruin it everytime by saying it?” The doctor huffed, but didn’t pull himself away.

 

Lance couldn’t help but chuckle at that, burying his face into the junction between Keith’s neck and collarbone, “my bad, I’ll just keep count in my head instead.”

Lance all but grinned, content in staying where he was in Keith’s arms.

 

Keith fought down the blush threatening to engulf his face at the action - Lance was warm and his short, but soft hair tickled his jaw. But he held still, not wanting to end the hug just yet, finding that he liked being close enough to feel the vibrations when Lance laughed. Keith could definitely get used to it. To them, being together. It was everything Keith had ever wished for and he couldn’t believe he had it now.

 

“I love you, Lance,” The doctor mumbled just loud enough for Lance to hear. Like it was their little secret, even though he knew it was anything but a secret.

 

Lance closed his eyes, never in his wildest dreams did he think this would become a reality. Keith being so openly affectionate towards him made his heart melt. He cursed the goddamn heart monitor for the umpteenth time for betraying him by beeping particularly loud, but he ignored it in favor of replying to Keith. Lance wanted to make sure Keith knew he felt the same.

 

“I love you too Keith, and I always will.”

 

Lance felt like for the first time in his life, words just weren’t enough to convey everything he was feeling. Before he could stop himself, he shifted back a little so he could properly see Keith’s face and smiled. Realizing he’d never been able to look at the doctor so close up before, Lance couldn’t help but admire how handsome he was all over again.

Keith was mesmerized by those bright blue, ocean-like pools. Lance’s eyes were captivating and having him so close, Keith couldn’t help but admire Lance’s features in appreciation. Catching those blue irises darting down to his lips, Keith easily closed the gap. The kiss was soft and the only sounds were the beeps of Lance’s heart monitor. Although it took a lot of heartache and near-death experiences to get them here, Keith wouldn't change a thing.

 

☆☆☆

 

Keith sighed, organizing the finalized papers into a thick, manilla folder. Today was the day. Lance was going to be discharged from the hospital and Keith was in a pretty good mood. He wasn’t sure how many times Lance had complained about wanting to take a proper shower or use a face mask in the last few weeks. But what was probably the best was just the idea of Lance recovering well enough to be discharged from the hospital.

Keith had been nervous about Lance’s physiotherapy, but Lance was determined to - and Keith quotes in Lance’s words - “woo Keith with how fast he was going to recover.” While the fireman struggled the first few days, Keith was fondly proud of Lance for not giving up. It seemed like Keith’s presence helped Lance’s quick recovery - according to Lance.

Keith tried his best to tell Lance that his improvement was because of his own hard work, but Lance insisted that it was only because of his help. The doctor rolled his eyes, but the warmth in his chest only continued to grow. Lance was honestly too sweet for his own good. Not that Keith didn’t know already. Maybe it was just how open they both were with their feelings now, that it hit him that much harder every time something Lance says attacked his heart.

Shaking his head, Keith realized he had been staring emptily at his cluttered desk for the past two minutes. Standing up, he quickly picked up the folder, tucking it under his arm securely, and headed towards his office door to give Lance the good news. Keith wanted it to be a surprise, and he felt a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips just imagining how Lance would react.

He was half-way across his room when the door to his office suddenly swung open. Keith leapt back in surprise, avoiding the heavy door that nearly smacked him in the face. He glared at the familiar black and white hair before sighing, fixing his coat and folder which both went askew when he had been startled.

“What is it Shiro, minus you know, almost slamming my own office door into my face?” Keith grunted, crossing his arms as he waited for his brother to speak.

It wasn’t that Keith was actually angry at Shiro, but the non-stop teasing ever since his friends and brother learnt about his and Lance’s relationship, the jabs have been constant. Let’s just say Keith was a little annoyed. Although he knew they all meant well, Keith never had the best patience when it came to annoying antics. Lance may or may not be the only exception, but even Lance didn’t get away without a jab in his side or two.

Shiro laughed before apologizing for his abrupt entrance.

 

“Sorry sorry, I expected you to be at your desk, or maybe in Lance’s room.”

 

Keith uncrossed his arms, raising a thick brow at his big brother. He did not like the smile on Shiro’s face. It was the smile that usually meant trouble. But Keith tried his best to let Shiro continue before he made any assumptions.

 

“Anyway, Lance is being discharged today right?” Shiro continued.

“...Yes?” Keith replied hesitantly, wondering where this conversation was going.

“Oh perfect! Because I let Lance know about your situation and he said yes.”

“...What? What do you mean? What ‘situation’?”

 

Keith squinted, not liking this conversation one bit. What the heck did Shiro plan this time?? They confessed already and were finally together, shouldn’t things like this stop??

 

“Oh, it's not a big deal, I just let him know that--”

 

 

\-- Meanwhile --

 

 

Lance was trying his best to occupy himself with the app on his phone. Keith said that this puzzle game was fun, but Lance couldn’t get himself to enjoy it. Was this a doctor thing he didn’t understand? Lance sighed, putting the phone back down after he beat the 56th puzzle. It was boooring. Speaking of Keith, where did he go?

 

The doctor said he would be right back, but it had been almost more than half an hour already. Did an emergency patient come in or something? Lance sighed again, leaning back onto his now lumpy pillow. Who knew that sleeping on the same pillow for almost two whole months would ruin it? Lance was also very tempted to go out for a walk. He felt stiff being in bed all day, and knowing that he could get around with the help of a crutch didn’t help his decision. Maybe he could go find Keith himself? He wasn’t sure if Keith would be annoyed or proud that he walked around the hospital to find him...on second thought it would probably be both. Lance grinned at that, wanting to see Keith’s reaction when he triumphantly found his now boyfriend on his own two feet after only a week of physiotherapy.

 

Just as Lance had mustered enough strength to get up and off of his bed using the crutch leaned against the railings of his hospital bed, he heard a loud but familiar shout ring out through the hospital walls.

 

Lance’s eyes widened comically and almost fell flat on his face when he choked on his own spit.

 

That was definitely Keith’s voice.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We hope you enjoyed the fluff in this chapter!! Thank you so much for reading and sticking with us all the way!  
> We were really determined to finish this story for you guys, so I'm really glad we were finally able to! <3
> 
> Hmm I wonder what Shiro said to Keith...? :3c
> 
> Comments/kudos are greatly appreciated! 
> 
> We'll update with the last chapter as soon as we can  
> (and hopefully much quicker than this last update haha;;)
> 
> Love you all!!


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